How come my fridge freeze doesn't need to be regassed but my car AC does?

Probably exactly that. Once your fridge reaches EOL it's not stupidly expensive to replace. Imagine having to scrap a perfectly working car just because the AC has gone.
 
A fridge freezer has a much better sealed system due to having solid pipes and usually only soldered joints.

Cars need flexible hoses due to movement of the engine and all the components are usually joined and sealed by o-rings. All of which leads to a loss of a very small amount of refrigerant over time. It’s unavoidable unfortunately.

The best thing to do in a car to avoid loss of gas is to use the aircon all year round. Using it circulates the gas and oil around the system, the oil being circulated helps keep the system sealed from very tiny losses.
 
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I don’t drive my car often, once a week for 23 miles this takes me about 45 minutes. I leave the AC on all the time. Car is 4 years 4 months old now and have not needed a re-gas as yet.
 
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Pipes often get damaged on cars, one of my previous cars had the pipes right next to the jacking point so no surprises they got damaged. Also unless cowboy builders fitted your roof, your fridge isn't getting exposed to the elements.
 
I had a Fridge Freezer need re-gassing at only 3 months old.

I raised that if it needs re-gassing then there must be a leak but it was like banging my head against a brick wall.

It failed again 3 months later :rolleyes:

So as above, only if there is a leak however fast or slow it is would a cars air conditioning require frequent re-gassing.

I do regularly use it during all year round though as my dads always told me.. It’s best to frequently use it to keep it running as it should.
 
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I wonder if that’s why my car turns the ax on everytime I turn the blower on. It was kind of annoying but perhaps it’s actually beneficial.
 
Phoenix211 said:
Would you say needing a re gas after 9 years sounds about right? Ye olde Qashqai has absolutly no cold air now and a nice hiss when you turn aircon on!
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9 years is about right for sure. The hiss you can hear means the gas is low, which is actually good sign in some respects as it's still got gas in there, rather than having a big leak and lost it all.
 
2006 191K mile Volvo V70, air con working fine just as it should.

2018 Scania R450, 512,000KM (318K miles) again working as it should.

I'm not convinced that either age nor mileage is the deciding factor here....
 
Scania said:
2006 191K mile Volvo V70, air con working fine just as it should.

2018 Scania R450, 512,000KM (318K miles) again working as it should.

I'm not convinced that either age nor mileage is the deciding factor here....
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I'd suspect age is a factor, but more down to it just having had more time to be abused.
 
Doobedoo said:
I wonder if that’s why my car turns the ax on everytime I turn the blower on. It was kind of annoying but perhaps it’s actually beneficial.
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I think new cars run AC regardless of whether the AC button is pressed or not. I've noticed on our new car when you look at the economy screen if you have the blower on the lowest setting but not off, and with AC off, the car still shows AC running - you just don't get the cold air.
 
They shouldn’t actually need regassed ever. It’s a sealed system. It’ll only require to be re-gassed if theres a leak.

Fridge it’ll usually be formicary corrosion on the evap, which should be replaced - if the bloke it just putting gas in its daft as it’s like filling a leaking tyre. You’d repair it or replace it not just keep topping it up!

Think in cars they always put a ‘sealant‘ in with it while they recharge it. Problem with that is if it has significant damage due to it being a car and the extremes they go to, in order to repair anything is major and not just a 10 minute job.
 
per earlier comment though , I thought you should use car one regularly to ensure lubricants introduced with gas keep rubber/vuitton components lubricated which could , otherwise, become porous,
I don't understand if home fridges have same risk, but since they are on all the time, may not have that failure mode.

do the pistons used in compressors have rubber versions of the piston rings you'd see in an engine ?
 
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