A/C Hoses, Pipes, O-Rings & Fittings

When thinking of A/C systems the first thing that comes to mind is usually the compressor, condenser, or maybe even the evaporator. Of course these are important organs of the system, but what about the veins and capillaries tying them all together to work in succession? It wouldn’t be a system without A/C hoses and pipes, and it wouldn’t be a sealed system without the o-rings and fittings. These parts are key to a correctly pressurized system.

The A/C refrigerant hose carries refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporator and vice versa. There are both high pressure discharge hoses, and low pressure suction hoses. If you are fixing up an old system that initially came with R12 instead of the currently used R134a and think that your original hoses are in good shape, think again! Most old hoses are not compatible and can break down with the newer refrigerant running through them. If you don’t know or remember if the hoses have been updated, new hoses are a small price to pay for peace of mind!

Now that you realize how important new hoses can be, keep in mind that where the hoses connect are not automatically going to create a perfect seal. There are several types of fittings throughout the system that connect the hoses to the rest of the A/C components. Many of these fittings each have an o-ring that can wear or degrade over time. Any time you disconnect the fittings and hoses the o-ring or seal can be compromised. If you are already replacing an expensive part, do you really want to have to go back and diagnose a leak?

Fittings and o-rings are what really seal the deal. Old worn out o-rings and cracked or bent fittings will really hurt the performance of your A/C system. Once a leak emerges you risk contamination and debris, pressure will become irregular and drastically affect other major components of the system from functioning. If too much debris clogs up the system you can reach dangerous levels of pressure that will cost an arm and a leg! If you are replacing a hose or pipe, don’t forget these inexpensive fittings and o-rings!