AIROCOOLAir-Conditioning
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Air conditioning & heating

Aircon Gas Refill, Regas & Leak Repair

We find the leak first. Recharging without that is just selling you the same gas twice.

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Airocool recharges air conditioning systems across Durban and the North Coast, but always after locating and repairing the leak that caused the loss. Refrigerant is sealed and is not consumed in normal operation, so a system that is low has a leak by definition. We pressure-test with dry nitrogen, trace the leak with electronic detection or UV dye, repair it, evacuate the system to remove moisture, and then charge by weight to the manufacturer’s specification rather than by guesswork on the gauges.

Why "just top it up" is bad advice

If a contractor offers to recharge your system without leak-testing, they are selling you a temporary result they know will fail. Beyond the wasted money, running a system undercharged causes real damage: the compressor relies on returning refrigerant for cooling and oil return, so a starved system runs hot and its compressor life drops sharply. Venting refrigerant to atmosphere is also an environmental problem — these are potent greenhouse gases, and recovering them properly is part of doing the job correctly.

Charging by weight, not by feel

Every system has a specified refrigerant charge, stated on the outdoor unit’s data plate in grams, plus an allowance per additional metre of pipe run. We recover any remaining charge, evacuate to a deep vacuum to pull out moisture and air, then weigh in the exact specified charge on digital scales and verify with superheat and subcooling measurements. Overcharging is as damaging as undercharging and is what happens when someone charges "until it feels cold".

Which refrigerant does your system use?

R32 is standard on most new units sold in South Africa — efficient, lower global warming potential, mildly flammable and requiring correct handling. R410A remains extremely common in systems installed over the last fifteen years. R22 is an older refrigerant, phased out and increasingly expensive and difficult to obtain; if you have an R22 system that has developed a significant leak, replacement is usually the more sensible economic decision, and we will show you the numbers rather than just asserting it.

What's included

Gas Refill & Regas

  • Nitrogen pressure test to confirm and locate a leak
  • Electronic leak detection and UV dye tracing
  • Flare, joint, coil and Schrader valve leak repair
  • Recovery of existing refrigerant using proper equipment
  • Deep vacuum evacuation to remove moisture and air
  • Charge weighed in to manufacturer specification
  • Superheat and subcooling verification after charging
  • R32, R410A and R22 systems handled

Serving

Gas Refill & Regas across the North Coast

  • Durban North
  • Umhlanga
  • Ballito
  • Mount Edgecombe
  • Phoenix
  • Wider North Coast

The process

How this job runs

  1. Confirm the symptom

    Poor cooling, ice on the pipework or a unit that runs constantly are the usual signs of low charge.

  2. Pressure test & trace

    We find where it is leaking. This is the step that gets skipped elsewhere.

  3. Repair the leak

    Sometimes a flare re-made in ten minutes. Sometimes a coil, which changes the conversation.

  4. Evacuate & recharge

    Deep vacuum, then the exact specified weight of refrigerant, then verification.

Pricing

What affects the cost of a regas

A regas is really two jobs — the leak repair and the recharge. Cost drivers:

Factors affecting the cost of gas refill & regas
FactorWhy it matters
Refrigerant typeR22 is scarce and expensive. R32 and R410A are readily available.
System charge sizeA small bedroom split holds a fraction of what a large ducted system holds.
Where the leak isAn accessible flare joint is quick. A leaking evaporator or condenser coil is a major component.
Whether the system ran dryA system run flat for a long period may have compressor damage that needs assessing.

We publish the factors rather than a price list because a number that is wrong for your property is worse than no number at all. Ask us for a quote and you will get a real one.

Questions

Gas Refill & Regas — common questions

How often does an air conditioner need regassing?
Never, in normal operation. A correctly installed, leak-free system holds its refrigerant charge for its entire service life. If you are being told your unit needs regassing every year or two, you have a leak that nobody has bothered to find. That is the actual problem to solve.
How do I know if my aircon needs gas?
Typical signs are weak cooling that has declined gradually, ice forming on the copper pipework or the indoor coil, the unit running continuously without reaching setpoint, and a hissing or bubbling sound. None of these are conclusive on their own — a dirty filter produces similar symptoms — which is why we measure pressures and temperature split before touching the refrigerant.
Can you regas an R22 air conditioner?
Sometimes, but R22 is phased out, supply is limited and the price reflects that. If your R22 system has a significant leak or needs a major component, the sensible economics usually favour replacing it with an R32 unit that will use considerably less electricity. We will price both options and let you decide with real numbers in front of you.
Is aircon gas dangerous?
Handled correctly, no. R32 is classified as mildly flammable and requires appropriate handling, tooling and ventilation, which is a reason to use a competent contractor rather than a general handyman. Refrigerants also displace oxygen in confined spaces. What we would genuinely warn against is the DIY top-up cans sold online — they routinely overcharge systems and introduce moisture and contaminants.

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Next step

Need gas refill & regas?

Tell us what you have got and roughly where you are. We will come back with a straight answer and a real number.

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