Have you ever questioned where the chilly air comes from when you put on the A/C in your car on a hot day? It is caused in part by the refrigerant in the system. Warm air is removed from the cabin while cool air is pumped in via the compressor and condenser, changing the temperature of the refrigerant gas as it moves through the system. The car AC gas is volatile, so there is a catch. This is so because the refrigerants in your car belong to a group of substances linked to ozone layer depletion and global warming. When a car’s air conditioning system is serviced, specialized equipment is needed to collect and recycle used gases.
Car AC Gas Types
R1234YF
Or maybe we should say cool car AC? After all, it contains refrigerant. By 2021, R1234yf will completely replace R134a in all new automobiles. The switch has already been made by some manufacturers or is currently being made. In fact, as of 2018, R1234yf is already standard on 70% of new Kia vehicles!
With one significant exception, this new refrigerant functions similarly to R134a but degrades significantly more quickly in the higher atmosphere. Therefore, it will have a more negligible impact on global warming. It is also simple to convert a car’s R134a A/C system to R1234yf compatibility.
R134a Car AC Gas
R134a refrigerant makes the A/C blow chilly on hot days in the majority of cars that are now on the road. Almost all automobiles produced after 1994 have been fitted with R134 refrigerant, chosen for their low flammability, safety, and environmental friendliness.
The critical word here is kindness, though. As it might wind up in the atmosphere and takes a very long time to decompose, R134a has been determined to have a significant potential for greenhouse gas emissions. Because of this, all new cars sold in America after 2021 are prohibited from using this kind of refrigerant. It’s not very environmentally friendly by today’s standards.
R12
It served as the industry standard refrigerant for several years. It was inexpensive and efficient. Researchers soon learned, nevertheless, that it also contributed to the ozone layer’s rapid ozone layer depletion.
However, if you want the best cooling performance and more straightforward car AC gas service, you can have an older car changed to function with a modern refrigerant type. If you drive an antique car, it may still be fitted with R12 refrigerant and be ideally allowed to be driven.