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08Aug

No automotive A/C  refrigeration system is completely tight, and cooling performance can  be marginal when the refrigerant charge is not correct. On today’s small capacity systems, that’s just a few…

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07Jul

By Steve Schaeber, MACS Technical Editor My uncle Joe recently purchased a 2014 Hyundai Sonata to use as his commuter car for getting back and forth to work. When he…

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03Mar

by Jacques Gordon To anyone who has been following along, it looks more and more like the auto industry will never have one universal air conditioning refrigerant. That means we…

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09Sep

There never has been and never will be just one In the mid 1750s, Ben Franklin experimented with using vacuum to evaporate liquid ether, and he recorded a significant temperature…

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09Sep

The chemical designation CFC, representing chlorofluorocarbons, should be familiar to anyone in this business. It’s the chemical used as the root of the old R-12 refrigerant that was phased out of mobile A/C use in the early to mid-1990s.

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05May

1) What is HFO-1234yf?
HFO-1234yf is a chemical refrigerant that will be used in new cars in place of R134a.

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09Sep

  Did you know today, Tuesday, September 14, 2010 is the 40th anniversary of the United States Clean Air Act?  Section 608 and Section 609 which regulate stationary and mobile…

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09Sep

All hoses used with mobile A/C system service equipment must be equipped with shut-off valves.

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09Sep

1. ALWAYS wear eye protection when servicing air conditioning systems or handling refrigerant.
2. Avoid breathing refrigerant and lubricant vapor or mist. Exposure may irritate eyes, nose and throat. If accidental discharge occurs, ventilate the work area.
3. Do not allow refrigerants to come in contact with open flames and high-temperature surfaces. Decomposition is hazardous, and can occur if refrigerant is exposed to high temperatures (open flames, hot metal surfaces, etc.)
4. HFC-134a is not flammable at normal ambient temperatures and atmospheric pressure. However, tests have shown it to be combustible at certain pressures and ambient temperatures when mixed with air under pressure in a sealed environment. Service equipment or vehicle A/C systems should not be pressure tested or leak tested with compressed air.
5. PAG lubricant is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture). Containers must be kept tightly closed.
6. PAG lubricant can be a skin irritant. Protective impervious gloves are required to prevent lubricant contact with the skin. To help avoid skin contact, mineral oil should be used to coat o-rings and seals prior to installation. Also, since PAG lubricants absorb moisture, using mineral oil reduces the potential for fitting corrosion.
7. PAG lubricants can cause damage to paint, plastic parts, engine drive belts and coolant hoses. Care should be taken to prevent PAG lubricants from coming into contact with these items.
8. Failure to follow instructions provided by A/C system service equipment manufacturers could result in personal injury or equipment damage.
9. To prevent refrigerant cross-contamination, use separate service equipment for each refrigerant. Lubricant and refrigerant left in hoses and equipment can be a source of cross-contamination.
10. NEVER transfer refrigerants to a cylinder or tank unless it is Department of Transportation approved for refilling.
DOT approval is indicated by the designation “DOT 4BA” or “DOT 4BW” stamped on a tank’s collar (handle).
11. If a refrigerant tank is overfilled, it may explode. To prevent this from occurring, when transferring refrigerant into a tank, the safe filling level must be controlled by weight, and must not exceed 60% of the tank’s gross weight rating.
12. NEVER perform service on recovery/recycling/recharge equipment (other than routine maintenance) without first consulting authorized service personnel. The removal of internal fittings and filters can cause the escape of refrigerant under pressure.
13. NEVER perform maintenance or service on recovery/recycling/recharge equipment with the unit plugged into electric power unless directed otherwise.
14. Avoid using extension cords with recovery/recycling/recharge equipment. If this is unavoidable, use a minimum length, 3-wire (No. 14 AWG minimum) cord with a ground circuit. To prevent shock hazards and reduce the risk of fire, make sure the extension cord is in good condition (not worn or frayed) with the ground circuit intact.
15. Recovery/recycling/recharge equipment often contains parts that may produce arcs or sparks. Do not use this equipment near flammable liquids or vapors.
16. Fuel injection systems on vehicles contain a service port the same size as one of the CFC-12 A/C system service ports. Be careful not to attach A/C service equipment to a vehicle’s fuel injection system.
Additional health and safety information may be obtained from equipment, refrigerant and lubricant manufacturers.
Refer to their instruction manuals and Material Safety Data Sheets.
Caution: When using recovery/recycling/recharge equipment, while it is very important to follow the general service procedures outlined in this manual, it is also very important to follow your equipment’s manufacturer’s instructions.
Failure to follow these instructions could result in personal injury, damage to the equipment or A/C systems, or improper or inadequate refrigerant recovery, recycling and containment.
When having your mobile A/C system professionally serviced, insist on proper repair procedures and quality replacement parts. Insist on recovery and recycling so that refrigerant can be reused and not released into the atmosphere.
You can E-mail us at macsworldwide@macsw.org or visit http://bit.ly/cf7az8 to find a Mobile Air Conditioning Society repair shop in your area. Visit http://bit.ly/9FxwTh to find out more about your car’s mobile A/C and engine cooling system.
Learn more about the Mobile Air Conditioning Society’s 2011 convention and trade show.

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08Aug

If you would like to download our glove box guide to Your Car’s Air Conditioning System click here for a downloadable pdf that you can print out and keep with your car’s owner’s manual. This glove box guide has tips for keeping you cool, helping the environment and for optimum A/C system performance.

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08Aug

Motor vehicle air conditioning systems can release refrigerant into the atmosphere in a number of ways.

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08Aug

  Whenever you hear the term refrigerant contamination the first thing you probably think of is mixed refrigerants. However, the most prevalent contaminant, particularly in recycled refrigerant, is air. What…

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