Air Con Regas
Warm air from the vents? Poor cooling? A proper regas restores your air conditioning to full performance.
- R1234yf and R134a systems
- Vacuum-and-pressure leak test
- UV dye added for future leak detection
The air con regas process — step by step
Full transparency on exactly what happens from the moment you get in touch to the moment we hand back the keys.
- 1
Identify the gas
Modern cars (post-2017) use R1234yf; older use R134a. We check the under-bonnet sticker.
- 2
Recover the old gas
Any remaining refrigerant recovered and weighed — legally required, not vented.
- 3
Vacuum test
System pulled to vacuum and held for 20 min to prove there are no leaks.
- 4
Recharge to spec
Fresh gas and oil charged to the manufacturer's stated weight — not just "until it feels cold".
- 5
Verify cold-air output
Vent temperatures measured. We aim for 4–7°C at max on a warm day.
Looking for air con regas in London? Catford Tyres offers fully mobile air con regas across every SE, BR and DA postcode — 7 days a week, with same-day and 24/7 emergency slots. Whether it's air con regas at your home, at work, or roadside, our vans carry the tools, sensors and top tyre brands (Michelin, Continental, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Goodyear, Falken) to finish the job on the spot. No workshop trip, no waiting room, no upfront payment.
Everything included with your air con regas
No hidden extras, no vague pricing. Here's exactly what you get, what we bring, what to have ready and what happens afterwards.
- Under-bonnet check to identify R134a or R1234yf
- Full recovery of old refrigerant (legally required, not vented)
- 20-minute vacuum leak test
- Fresh gas and PAG oil charged to manufacturer weight
- UV dye added for future leak detection
- Vent-temperature test at max cold
- Dual R134a / R1234yf air-con machine
- Vacuum pump + digital manifold gauges
- UV leak-detection dye
- Which gas your car uses if you know (most post-2017 cars are R1234yf)
- Vents blowing warm at max cold
- Weak cooling on the passenger side (typical of low charge)
- Air-con button clicks off after a few seconds
Air-con systems lose around 10% of gas per year normally — that's just permeation through the hoses. A regas restores cooling and lubricates the compressor, preventing a much more expensive failure.
- Use air-con at least once a week year-round to keep seals lubricated
- If cooling drops within 3 months there's a leak — bring it back for a UV inspection
Why is R1234yf so much more expensive?+
The gas itself costs 15x what R134a costs — that's a global regulation on greenhouse gases, not our margin.
Will you find leaks too?+
Every regas includes UV dye so a future inspection can pinpoint any leak.