Does the ac system have to be charged for the compressor to stay on?

Question

my compressor turns
i took it to a shop to get recharged and they did then said that the compressor didnt work. but it was new i had just bought it they charged me 110 and said it was still charged even though the compressor didnt turn on.
i look at the compressor and got it to turn on and found out that they had not charged it at all so i went back and they said it turned on but was not staying on.
does it need to be charged for the compressor to stay on. am i getting ripped off?

Answer 1

Any car I have ever had the AC comp would not engage unless it was charged,
There is a protective cutout switch that will not let the clutch engage.

Answer 2

YES,,their is a switch that senses pressure,,no pressure,,no compressor.Keeps from burning up compressor if freon leaks out. It may not run continuous if charged properly ,,but should 'cycle' on & off,,& should blow cold air. Also if you find it IS empty there is a freon replacement called FREEZE 12 that is cheaper than freon & OZONE friendly,,,Their is also another type called R-134,,but if car is kind of old the pressure it makes will ruin gaskets.Also you need an adapter kit to install this type. FREEZE-12 operates at a lower pressure than R-134 & even freon. This will make your compressor last longer because it does not have to work as hard. Also Freeze 12 requires no special adapters,or oils, or flushing of the system to switch to this new type. Someone needs to check system for leaks,,,draw a 3 pound vacuum on system & fill with the same amount of freeze 12 as they would freon. freeze 12 is the same price as R-134 per can & an airconditioning liscense is not required to purchase it. Parts stores may not have it but check with an APPLIANCE parts house.

Answer 3

The system must be charged for the compressor to kick on otherwise the compressor switch will keep it off.

Answer 4

what kind of car? year/make/model?

you are getting ripped off.

for the compressor to engage, there has to be freon, if there isn't enough pressure the compressor stays off to protect itself.
it can be bypassed to force the compressor on, but you should not need to do that.
if they charged the system, fine. it's possible the freon leaked out??

Answer 5

try jumping the A/C presssure switch. if comp kicks on, it's good. if it doesn't, the switch may be bad (assuming system is properly charged with refrigerant)