Air con regas vs recharge — what's the difference?
Nothing, as it happens. They're two words for the same job. What does differ, enormously, is how that job is carried out — and that's the part worth understanding before you book.
Same job, different words
Regas, re-gas, recharge and refill all mean removing the refrigerant from your vehicle's air conditioning system and charging it again correctly. Garages use whichever word their customers use.
A top-up is a different thing entirely. That's refrigerant added without recovering, weighing, vacuum testing or leak checking. It can make a car cool for a few weeks. It tells you nothing about why it stopped cooling, and if there's a leak the gas simply escapes again.
Air conditioning systems are sealed. They're not supposed to need refilling on a schedule. A small loss over many years is normal; losing a charge in one season is a fault, and a fault is worth finding.
What a proper service involves
1. Recover what's in there
The existing refrigerant is recovered and weighed. That weight alone tells us a lot — a system holding almost nothing has lost it somewhere.
2. Vacuum and hold test
The system is pulled down to a deep vacuum and held. If it won't hold, there's a leak, and charging it would be throwing gas away.
3. Leak check where needed
Electronic leak detection, nitrogen pressure testing and UV dye where appropriate. We show you what we found before quoting anything.
4. Charge to the correct weight
The right refrigerant and the right oil, charged to the manufacturer's specified weight — not a guess and not a rough fill.
5. Measure the result
Vent temperatures and system pressures checked, with thermal readings taken so you can see the system is actually performing.
Every completed service includes a complimentary antibacterial aerosol ventilation treatment.
What it costs
At our Charlton base
- R134a A/C service£90
- R1234yf A/C service£140
- R744 CO₂ A/C service£160
At your location
- R134a A/C servicefrom £95
- R1234yf A/C servicefrom £150
- R744 CO₂ A/C servicefrom £160
- Buses, coaches and HGVsfrom £180
If the system won't hold a charge, a regas isn't the answer — see diagnostics for what happens next, or read why air con blows warm.
Common questions
- Is an air con regas the same as a recharge?
- Yes. Regas, recharge and re-gas all describe the same job: removing the old refrigerant, checking the system, then charging it with the correct refrigerant and oil to the manufacturer's weight.
- Is a regas the same as a top-up?
- No. A top-up simply adds refrigerant without recovering, measuring or leak checking. A proper service recovers what is in the system, vacuum tests it, then charges a measured amount.
- How often does a car need an air con regas?
- Only when it needs one. If the system still cools properly, there is nothing to gain from recharging it. We measure performance first and tell you if it does not need the work.
- How much does a car air con regas cost?
- At our Charlton base, R134a systems are £90, R1234yf systems are £140 and R744 CO₂ systems are £160. Mobile visits start a little higher and any travel fee is confirmed before booking.
- Which refrigerant does my car use?
- Most cars up to around 2016 use R134a, newer cars, vans, hybrids and EVs usually use R1234yf, and a small number of vehicles use R744 CO₂. Check the sticker under the bonnet or send us your registration on WhatsApp.
Book a car air con regas
Tell us your vehicle and location and we'll confirm the full price, date and time before anything is booked.