Auto A/C Diagnosis & Repair manuals with step by step 'Trouble Tree' Fixes

We’re pleased to announce the official release of the COOLTradeZONE™ on-line Live Auction site. The site hosts live auctions, stores and want ads. This site is the newest member of the autoACsystems group and a serious part of our efforts to become your best source for everything about auto A/C.

Just in case you were wondering, yes, we really do realize that there are other auction sites on the internet. (Hmmm... do any names come to mind?) We’ve seen them like just about everybody else. However, like it’s already been said, we’re working hard to be your best one stop source for everything related to auto A/C. What better way was there to do that then provide a forum where anybody can get directly to the automotive and/or auto A/C related products they’re looking for. Above that, the site includes other categories that should cover just about everything else, but as always, we’re open to suggestions for additional categories too.

We invite you to register (no charge) at the COOLTradeZONE™ and support the stores that are supporting the site. Store owners are excited about being listed and we hope you take advantage of their offers.

Do you have something to sell? Don’t be shy. For a limited time, you can even get listed at theCOOLTradeZONE™ for free! That’s right, you won’t pay a listing fee or anything. All you need is the voucher code to list and sell any items without any charges. You can get more details and the voucher code from a recent posting on the bulletin board.

We look forward to meeting up with you at the COOLTradeZONE™!

We thank you for your support!
autoACsystems.com

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Are we going the wrong way
with refrigerants?

It is probably not a real surprise to any of you that the days of R-134a are numbered. No, R-134a maybe not be out this year or even next year, but you can bet that there will be a change in the very near future. From the talk around town it seems that R-134a will soon be a refrigerant of the past.

Why? It’s all about issues with the environment. There are problems when refrigerants are released to the natural environment. These chemicals have a rather long ‘life expectancy’ in the atmosphere and they can cause sometimes long lasting effects on the environment. That seriously effects the quality of life we all enjoy.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, you should really understand a little of the history. You probably remember using R-12, which was a CFC. It was determined that the chlorine atom (in the CFC) was responsible for depleting the earth’s natural protective ozone layer. That’s an important issue because the ozone layer is what filters out UV light rays from the sun. High exposure to UV light causes increased incidents of skin cancers, has effects on both plant and animal life and even the human immune system. Therefore, depleting the earth’s protective ozone layer could not lead to anything good. On top of that, CFC’s were also found to be a greenhouse gas and that contributes to global warming. If that’s not bad enough, also consider that (by virtue of their chemical composition) CFC’s are a very stable chemical. They are expected to last in the earth’s atmosphere for anywhere between 60 and 400 years. So in short, capping their use and potential for release into the atmosphere should be seen as a positive move.

Next, R-134a. That’s the refrigerant that we all know and love today. The big improvement is that R-134a is an HFC and does not include a chlorine atom. Therefore, any releases of R-134a can not have any impact on the earth’s ozone layer. However, (don’t cheer just yet) R-134a, like just about all HFC’s have been proven to be another global warming gas. Therefore, there are still environmental issues to deal with. If there is any light at the end of the tunnel, it would be that according to scientific data, R-134a only has a life expectancy of about 16 years in the earth’s atmosphere. Although that is significantly less than R-12, it is still a considerable length of time.

In a nutshell, that’s where we stand today. We’ve eliminated the use of CFC’s which had a real long life expectancy in the atmosphere, caused damage to the ozone layer and is recognized as a global warming gas. In exchange we started using R-134a which had no effect on the earth’s ozone layer, has a reduced life expectancy in the atmosphere, but is still a global warming gas.

So now, being the environmentally conscious people we are, we open up the arena for replacement refrigerants. This area is wide open and full of contenders. There are already countless blends on the market that are being sold as replacements for R-12 and/or R-134a, although they never really promoted as possible OE replacements. Then of course, there is always the Hydrocarbon market (which is basically propane based refrigerants) which always sparks a heated discussion (no pun intended). There are also other HFC refrigerants like R-152a which has been ‘bounced around’ as a possible replacement, although it too has some level of flammability. Then, most recently (actually over the last several years) there has been discussion of A/C systems using Carbon dioxide as a refrigerant.

Better known as CO₂, this possible refrigerant has come a long way. Prototype systems have been developed, and to our understanding, they perform reasonably well. The biggest difference (read that as problem) is that it’s been found that those systems generate high side pressures upwards of 2,000 p.s.i. Now there’s something to cause concern!

But what about the environment? Are carbon dioxide refrigerants the ‘be all and end all’ solution for the mobile A/C market? Well, you’re going to be surprised at what the scientific community is finding. In short, the answer is certainly not clear, In all probability, it could be that carbon dioxide refrigerants could be a bigger problem than the R-134a we’re using today.

The problem is in the hard data comparison of the two refrigerants. When comparing R-134a to R-744 (Carbon dioxide) on first glance, R-134a looks like it’s a real problem. That fact is that R-134a has a lot greater effect on global warming when first released to atmosphere. However, remember we said that it’s been determined that R-134a has an average life expectancy in the atmosphere of about 16 years? Well, after that, R-134a’s effect on global warming is diminished, if any at all. On the other hand, the life expectancy of R-744 is several hundred years. That means, as a global warming gas, the CO₂ is around long after the R-134a has deteriorated. The difference is that if you factor in the ‘cumulative’ effect on the atmosphere, the use (and release) of R-744 could be far worse than R-134a ever could be.

Now, please understand we’re not scientists (rocket or otherwise, ok?) but you don’t have to be to look at some basic facts laid out on a time line. The fact is that CO₂ has an effect on global warming. Although it’s not as bad (at the start) as R-134a. However, R-134a deteriorates over a relatively short period of time (as compared to CO₂) and no longer effects the environment. The CO2 will be around, not for generations, but for centuries.

The biggest concern from the industry standpoint is that making a change for the sake of making a change will not do any of us (or the consumer) any good. A change to CO2 systems at the OE level will automatically cause a requirement for new equipment; there will be updated education and training needs; there will be new part designs and work procedures; the list of ‘needs’ goes on and on. For the record, understand that we’re not against change. After all, remember when the orifice tube was first introduced? There were a lot of techs looking much like the ‘deer in the headlights’, trying to grasp the concept of a valve that didn’t open or close. In the long run, orifice tubes simplified the operation of A/C systems and made diagnosis a lot easier. But now we are dealing with things the average man on the street has no way of really measuring. Is the earth getting warmer? Is there really a problem? Those are questions a lot of folks in the industry really have not had answered for themselves. Now, we’re talking about another change that, from the start, may look to be putting us in a worse position than where we are today.

We’re not saying that we have all the answers, and sooner or later you have to put your trust into something. I think we can speak for the industry as a hole that we’re only asking that the issue of another change in refrigerant be well researched and documented before we have to start spending our hard earned cash on new this and that. We don’t think it’s too much to ask for. Do you?

Your comments and opinions are welcome.

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Seasons Greetings from autoACsystems.com!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your continued support throughout the year. This first year at the site has been a rewarding experience and we hope you will visit back with us often throughout the new year and continue to participate in our growth.

We wish you and your family a very Safe and Happy Holiday!

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