
New Air Conditioning Gas
A new EU directive came in to operation in January this year that meant all new cars must now only use the new air conditioning gas 1234YF
The main difference between the old style gas (R134) and the new 1234TF gas is down to its environmental credentials. The old R134 gas has a significantly higher global warming potential than the new gas. If the gas leaks from a car or van’s air conditioning system then it has a higher impact on the environment.
To help mitigate this environmental risk, the new EU directive stated that all refrigerant will need to have a global warming potential of less than 150.
Unfortunately, the R134 has a potential of 1430! This high figure equates to the R134 having 1,430 times more impact on global warming than carbon dioxide.
As the technology needed to re-gas or maintain the air conditioning system is different, only trained and certified technicians should work on the car or van, and only those garages that have made the investment in the new air conditioning machines can re-gas the systems. Currently there are very few garages that have made that investment, including many main dealerships. However, here at Jet Wheel Tyre (Benfleet branch only), we have the new machine available for our customers’ cars or vans.
If you have the new 1234YF air conditioning system in your car or van and need it re-gassed, then please give us a call to book it in. If you’re uncertain what system you have and would like to check, come to our garage in Benfleet, and we’ll be more than happy to help you.