What’s The Big Deal Behind Your Car’s A/C Refrigerant?

Do you know there’s a new automotive air conditioning refrigerant called R1234yf? It’s a newer refrigerant that is more environmentally-friendly, and you’ll find it in the newer car models made after 2014.

But what is R1234yf, and why is it such a big deal?

According to AutoExpert TV in Australia, the history of automotive A/C refrigerant is as follows:

 

In the olden days they used freon-12 which was awesome as a refrigerant but might as well have been Sarin gas as far as the ozone layer was concerned. It was also a pretty good propellant for aerosol cans. Developed countries basically ditched Freon-12 in 1996, and developing countries boned it in 2010. The refrigerant in your car right now is probably the r134a that’s been in common use for about 20 years. It’s about the same as Freon 12 as a refrigerant, but its effect on the ozone layer is insignificant. It doesn’t burn in most environments, either, and it’s non-toxic. But it is very bad for greenhouse. It’s like 1300 times worse than CO2 when you calculate the Global Warming Potential against standard protocols. The new refrigerant - let’s just call it Twelve-34 - has a global warming potential less than 1.”

Problem is, when R1234yf was first developed, it was very expensive. Plus, the equipment used to install this new refrigerant was also very expensive. Why? Because you don’t want to risk this refrigerant leaking into the atmosphere...even if it is kinder to the Earth than the old standard.

With an eye on the future and concern for our beautiful planet, Placentia Super Service invested in the R1234yf refrigerant and the equipment needed to install it. We invested in R1234yf for several reasons:

 

  1. At this writing, few independent auto repair shops in North Orange County offer A/C recharge service using this new-standard refrigerant.

  2. We want to do our best to protect Mother Nature and reduce your vehicle’s effect on our climate.

  3. We still have the option to install R134a refrigerant for older vehicles, as well as the new R1234yf refrigerant on newer vehicles.

  4. We proudly offer this service to local auto body shops that require this particular refrigerant after restoring vehicles to pre-collision standards.

  5. Our technicians are expertly trained and certified to install, repair, and maintain the air conditioning systems for all automotive makes and models.

In the throes of summertime heat, do yourself a favor and get your vehicle’s A/C serviced. Depending on the year your car was made, our team of auto mechanics will handle your air conditioning refrigerant recharge efficiently and safely, regardless of which type of refrigerant (R1234yf vs. R134a) we use. We are known as the most friendly and helpful auto repair center in the Placentia and Yorba Linda area, so we hope you’ll give our expert team a chance to provide air conditioning service with a smile. :-)

Conveniently located at 643 S. Melrose Street, Placentia, CA 92870, we invite you to try Placentia Super Service. For best service, schedule an appointment online or give us a call. You’ll be glad you did! 

Categories:

Blog
Placentia Super Service is committed to ensuring effective communication and digital accessibility to all users. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone, and apply the relevant accessibility standards to achieve these goals. We welcome your feedback. Please call Placentia Super Service (714) 528-1828 if you have any issues in accessing any area of our website.