Is Aircon Gas Dangerous?

Scania · 5 Dec 2010 at 21:48

Rich1988 said:
it says o zone friendly and the only warning is that the escaping gas may cause injury i.e the amount of pressure

OP Title - "Is Aircon Gas Dangerous?"

May cause injury ticks that for me!

Not read the whole thread? me? Never!

spaz · 5 Dec 2010 at 21:57

Ozone friendly it may be, it's still 1300x worse than CO2 as a greenhouse gas!

RJC · 5 Dec 2010 at 22:13

Ozone friendly but has a high Global Warming potential, R404a has the highest.

Freefaller · 5 Dec 2010 at 22:17

Thing is, when people have bumps and crashes and or the thousands of other events that happen all over the world, it's not going to stop these gasses leaking out.

Joshy · 5 Dec 2010 at 22:22

I've been told it can "freeze" your lungs - Any truth to that?

RJC · 5 Dec 2010 at 22:26

No, can take your breath away when burnt / heated to high temps.

Dogbreath · 5 Dec 2010 at 22:31

InvaderGIR said:
Remove the AC belt so as to not cause any more damage to the belt or the systems it's linked to. Drive to a garage and get them to drain the AC system. Drive home and remove the old compressor, fit replacement, drive back to garage and get it regassed.

No so good if the same auxiliary belt drives the alternator and power steering...

InvaderGIR · 5 Dec 2010 at 23:01

Dogbreath said:
No so good if the same auxiliary belt drives the alternator and power steering...

Which is true, but I'd hope that isn't the case, even my mid 90's car has two belts, one for ancillaries and one for AC. Mind you, I'd not be surprised if most cheaper cars just had the one belt.

ubersonic · 6 Dec 2010 at 08:43

It says O-zone friendly, what it means is that its more friendly than the gas it replaced ^^

It is an offence to release it into the atmosphere in most countries (don't know about Australia) and in the EU the fine is unlimited (done so that they can bankrupt any engineer/company caught doing it deliberately and make an example out of them, kinda like ruling by fear).

Getting hit by the gas shouldn't hurt you ON THE LOW PRESSURE SIDE OF THE SYSTEM (i.e the side where the port for those halfords cans is) a leak from the high pressure side (where the port licensed A/C engineers will connect to is) may cause serious injury.

Car A/C systems are not covered under F-GAS regs but they are covered under the MAC directive.

*EDIT*

Bugger almost forgot this, R134a is currently on its end of like phase out and will soon be prohibited like R-12, id suggest getting the work doe before this happens as manufacturers will probably charge extortionate amounts for "compatible" replacements

Dogbreath · 6 Dec 2010 at 09:31

InvaderGIR said:
Which is true, but I'd hope that isn't the case, even my mid 90's car has two belts, one for ancillaries and one for AC. Mind you, I'd not be surprised if most cheaper cars just had the one belt.

It's nothing to do with expense; loads of engines use one belt for multiple auxiliary devices these days (called a "serpentine" belt). The main reason is for packaging since multiple belts increase the overal length of the engine significantly, and a single belt is also more efficient.

tigerstyle · 6 Dec 2010 at 10:07

ubersonic said:
Bugger almost forgot this, R134a is currently on its end of like phase out and will soon be prohibited like R-12, id suggest getting the work doe before this happens as manufacturers will probably charge extortionate amounts for "compatible" replacements

The future might be C02! But there is a divide against US/Japanese manufacturers on what research path to go down.

Oh and Oz is a G20 country to all the Kyoto style jazz agreements = same F-Gas laws there.

ubersonic · 6 Dec 2010 at 10:13

Its either gonna be CO2 or HFO-1234yf, personally i'm hoping HFO-1234yf because its pretty much a drop in replacement for r134a, and CO2 still has all the drawbacks that let R134a beat it as the R12 successor in the first place.

Zip · 6 Dec 2010 at 12:20

InvaderGIR said:
Which is true, but I'd hope that isn't the case, even my mid 90's car has two belts, one for ancillaries and one for AC. Mind you, I'd not be surprised if most cheaper cars just had the one belt.

Thjat is the problem.

I have a very poor fitting Belt(Ie completely different type of belt then i should be using) keeping the Alternator Working while the Aircon is bolted out of the way keeping it clear from the fans and the Belt driving the alternator.

I may end up calling the Mechanic in the end. Ill just have to tell him why the Pulley is as mashed up as it is

RJC · 6 Dec 2010 at 15:41

ubersonic said:
*EDIT*

Bugger almost forgot this, R134a is currently on its end of like phase out and will soon be prohibited like R-12, id suggest getting the work doe before this happens as manufacturers will probably charge extortionate amounts for "compatible" replacements

R134A for majority of other refrigeration plant has no end date as yet as far as I am aware, so there still be plenty of R134a in the chain, unless they state that it will be illegal to top-up a vehicle A/C unit rather normal refrigeration plant - Found it Jan 2017, Car A/C can't be filled with refrigerant with GWP of 150 or more

ubersonic · 6 Dec 2010 at 16:41

RJC said:
R134A for majority of other refrigeration plant has no end date as yet as far as I am aware, so there still be plenty of R134a in the chain, unless they state that it will be illegal to top-up a vehicle A/C unit rather normal refrigeration plant - Found it Jan 2017, Car A/C can't be filled with refrigerant with GWP of 150 or more

Oops my bad, I only skim read the stuff that doesn't apply to me, its being phased out in new vehicles starting in 2011 due to the EU. Wont effect old cars then

Jonnycoupe · 6 Dec 2010 at 16:48

ubersonic said:
Its either gonna be CO2 or HFO-1234yf, personally i'm hoping HFO-1234yf because its pretty much a drop in replacement for r134a, and CO2 still has all the drawbacks that let R134a beat it as the R12 successor in the first place.

1234yf is what we're switching to here.

RJC · 6 Dec 2010 at 17:08

ubersonic said:
Oops my bad, I only skim read the stuff that doesn't apply to me, its being phased out in new vehicles starting in 2011 due to the EU. Wont effect old cars then

Ah, do you work in the industry

I think they should use R717 (Ammonia)

Just had a re-read:

Vehicles entering service from 1 January 2017 must not contain (or be refilled with) a refrigerant with a GWP higher than 150.

However, vehicles fitted with an air-conditioning system designed to contain a refrigerant with a GWP higher than 150 (including HFC 134a) which entered service before 1 January 2017 can continue to be refilled with that refrigerant after 1st January 2017.

Any vehicles entering service from 1 January 2017 that were not required to go through a type approval process (see above) can contain (and be refilled with) a refrigerant with a GWP higher than