May 2019

A ir conditioning systems require care and attention says Robin Huish, Managing Director at Hickleys: “So with spring now here and summer just around the corner, we all should be thinking about the correct operation of our air conditioning systems within our customers cars and for the garage owner, the correct operation of his current air conditioning recharge machines. Each year the air con system of a car should be checked for its best operating temperature and to reduce the risk of failure, which would result in a high repair cost. Every two years the receiver dryer should be replaced to reduce the amount of moisture around the system.” But how to integrate air-con into your business? “Using a fully automatic air conditioning machine the operation of carrying out a cleanse and re-gas or service of the air conditioning system on a car is made so much easier for the qualified F-Gas approved mechanic,” explains Robin. “Diagnostic tools will be required to fix faults within the air conditioning system. All these systems are constantly talking to each other within the car in order to gain the most effective way to produce cool air which is then directed around the vehicle. “We should be looking to service not only under the bonnet of the car but also heater box within the dashboard where we find the evaporator which generates condensation. This condensation produces bacteria which we should clean by using a plug in cleansing machine to break down, clean and dissipate this potentially harmful liquid, this will help reduce the chances of the car occupants getting `car flu` which can cause dry eyes and an un pleasant smell. After this operation has been carried out there will be a pleasant smell within the car.” “Having the correct training and being able to call experienced people in the know when help is needed is high on a garage owners list,” says Robin. “Our staff are trained to install and carry out F-Gas on site exams so it becomes a one-stop-shop. Also don’t forget to get your air conditioning charge station serviced on a regular basis so it will be ready for the season, allowing you to have a trouble-free year and best enabling you to provide a service to your customers.“ Robin adds: “At Hickleys we can supply air conditioning charging stations including OEM approved units in both – R134a and HFO1234YF refrigerant formats. Along with this we offer starter kits comprised of gloves, goggles, oils, dye, UV lights etc. We can also supply an oil to be used in R134a, HFO1234YF and hybrid systems, all in one container. There are also oxygen free nitrogen leak detection kits and OFN bottles.” When dealing with air conditioning systems, you need to make sure you are working with the right gas for the vehicle in front of you. We have mentioned R1234yf and R-134a. Simon Ravenscroft, Regional Sales Manager, National Refrigerants gets into the detail: “This year will see another 1.2 million new cars hit the road with the new Solstice R1234yf air-conditioning gas in them. New legislation introduced in January 2017 forced all car makers in Europe to adopt new technology to reduce the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the refrigerant used in the air con system. “Chemical manufacturers introduced two options in order to comply – R-1234yf which has a GWP of less than 1 or CO 2 which has a GWP of 1. Both clearly conform to the new regulation in terms of GWP. “However, the majority of car makers have chosen R-1234yf as their preferred solution, namely for the following reasons. Firstly R-1234yf offers similar cooling performance to existing R-134a in all climates versus CO 2 which has differing performance in different climates – thus it’s a global solution. Secondly, R-1234yf is generally more efficient versus CO 2 because it uses less fuel and thus produces approximately 20%-30% less emissions. Finally, R-1234yf has a lower cost to implement versus CO 2 as parts used in the air-con system are identical or similar to that of existing parts used today in conventional R-134a systems.” So what is R-1234yf and how is it different to R-134a? Simon explains: “R-1234yf is part of the chemical family known as HFO (hydrofluoro- olefin) and was jointly developed by chemical companies Honeywell and Chemours, under the Solstice and Opteon trade names respectively. R- 134a is a HFC (hydrofluorocarbon)– both are composed of Hydrogen, Fluorine and Carbon atoms but conventional HFCs are connected by single bonds between the atoms, whereas HFO R-1234yf contains at least one double bond between the carbon atoms. It’s a small difference in chemistry that makes a huge difference in GWP. The other main difference is that R-134a is classed as A1 non-flammable, whereas R-1234yf is classed as A2L – mildly flammable and requires additional safety measures during charging and service.” Once you get the gas right, you need to consider the system itself. “Many cars now have air conditioning at the very least,” says a spokesman for Snap-on, “or even 46 AFTERMARKET MAY 2019 AIR CONDITIONING Above: Air conditioning is a growing opportunity for switched on garages www.aftermarketonline.net A COOL ADDITION Air con systems need frequent attention, with regular servicing a must. Find out how you can get more out of the air con opportunity