AP Air Europe highlights refrigerant changes
Air conditioning parts specialist AP Air Europe Ltd has said that pressure is mounting on manufacturers to phase out the R134a refrigerant due to proposed incoming European quota reductions in 2024, and switch to R1234yf.
If the reduction goes through as planned, says the company, the cost of R134a is likely to rise significantly and demand could outstrip supply.
“In anticipation of this situation a new refrigerant, R456a, has been developed,” said AP Air Europe.
“A blend of R134a and R1234ze, the mix of two gases means the environmental impact is reduced by around 50 per cent when compared to pure R134a. Producers can subsequently make 2kgs of the new gas instead of 1kg of R134a per quota.
“Further good news is that R456a looks set to be a direct drop-in replacement for R134a [including LCVs and HGVs using this refrigerant] with no need to change oils, dyes etc… however, the use of R1234ze as an ingredient will be expensive and inevitably reflected in the price of R456a.”
As the refrigerant story continues to unfold, AP Air Europe says that air conditioning service machines are proving their worth in the workshop.
AP Air Europe’s Mike Beswick commented: “We sold nearly 200 Oksys charging stations last year and demand continues to rise. The machines recycle refrigerant by removing moisture from it and with gas prices continuing to climb those waste reduction savings soon add up.”
A digitally calibrated service machine avoids the health and environmental risks posed by manually recovering and re-charging refrigerant in an air conditioning system, says the firm, whilst providing time and money saving benefits at the same time.
