A fridge gas refill, or regas, is often sold as a quick top-up. It should not be. Refrigerant runs in a sealed loop and is never used up, so a fridge that is short of gas has a leak. A proper regas finds that leak, repairs it, pulls a deep vacuum to remove air and moisture, and then charges the exact weight of gas shown on the rating plate. Describe your fridge and the symptoms, and qualified refrigeration technicians near you quote you directly. It is free, with no obligation.
Fridge gas leak symptoms
A leak develops slowly, so the signs creep up over weeks:
- The compressor runs almost all the time and the fridge gets steadily warmer.
- Frost forms only on a small patch of the freezer, near where the pipe enters, instead of across the whole plate.
- An oily stain on a pipe joint, or on the floor of the freezer.
- A faint hissing right after a pipe was damaged, often by someone chipping ice with a knife.
Some of these also match a failed fan or defrost fault, which is why a technician should test before regassing. Our page on a fridge not cooling covers the other causes.
What a proper regas involves
The technician fits gauges and checks pressures, then finds the leak with a detector, soapy water or by pressure testing with dry nitrogen. The leak is brazed or the leaking part replaced. A new filter drier is usually fitted. The system is put under vacuum to remove moisture, then charged by weight with the gas named on the plate: many newer fridges use R600a, older ones R134a. R600a and R290 are flammable, so the work needs the right tools and no open flames near the gas.
Fridge gas refill prices
A regas with leak repair costs about R850 to R2,000 according to published cost guides. The price rises when the leak is inside a foamed wall, where a new evaporator must be fitted, or when the compressor is also weak. A quote far below that range is often a top-up only, which tends to leak out again within weeks or months.
Questions to ask before agreeing
Ask how the technician will find the leak, whether a new filter drier and a vacuum are included, and which gas they will charge. Ask for proof of their refrigerant handling qualification. Ask what guarantee is given on the repair, in writing. If you are a technician looking for cylinders, see fridge gas and refrigeration tools.
What to include in your request
- Gas type from the rating plate, if visible
- How the fridge has changed over recent weeks
- Any pipe damaged, for example when defrosting
- Model number and age
- Whether you want the leak repaired, not topped up
Fridge Gas Refill for different clients
- Households: a kitchen fridge slowly losing cold after a pipe was nicked during a defrost
- Landlords, guest houses and B&Bs: a letting agent arranging a proper leak repair rather than another top-up
- Shops, cafes and supermarkets: a corner shop's drinks fridge that keeps needing gas every few months
- Restaurants, butcheries and caterers: a restaurant's prep fridge with a slow leak at a brazed joint
- Farms, packhouses and dairies: a farm freezer regassed by a technician who travels with gauges and a pump
- Factories and cold stores: canteen fridges at a plant where repeat regas jobs need a real fix
- Schools, clinics and public buildings: a clinic fridge that must be leak tested and regassed properly
- Technicians and repairers: technicians quoting leak repair, vacuum and charge by weight as one job
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my fridge needs gas?
How long does a fridge regas last?
Can I buy a fridge gas refill kit and do it myself?
How do I find a fridge gas refill near me?
Fridge Gas Refill by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg