Question:
My a/c is broken (and apparently unfixable). I've been quoted
$1200-$1500 for a rebuilt or new a/c. Is this a do-it-yourself job for
a beginner, or should I let a professional tackle it? What do you think
about this price?
My DH googled air conditioner parts, and it didn't seem very
straight-forward to hi
Answer:
You didn't identify what kind of car you have. You would do better
by posting this question on one of the automobile groups, but identify
the make, model, and year of your car. One some cars, its a lot
easier than on others to replace the AC and it also depends on
the parts that need to be replaced
Working on air conditioning systems is not a job for an amateur, and
may even be illegal in your state. It requires elaborate and expensive
test equipment, the use of hazardous refrigerants, and specialized
knowledge of such systems
IIRC, there is an EPA requirement that requires a special $10,000
machine to be used to remove refrigerant before working on a system. I
believe that to let it vent into the air is illegal under federal law.
This is one reason why AC repairs are so expensive.
The equipment is nothing more than a set of gauges (knowing how to
read them properly is the expensive part) and a suction pump/collector
to recycle the R-12. In order to get out the moisture and crud in a
system, these pumps need to suck at the system for a few hours.
IME, once one part goes on an auto AC, others will often soon follow.
