Which Gas Does My Air Conditioning System Have?
There are currently two types of gas used in car air conditioning systems:
- R134a gas is common in all vehicles manufactured before 2014.
- R1234yf gas was phased in from 2014 onwards, becoming a legal requirement for all vehicles registered after 1st January 2017.
In reality, vehicles registered between 2014 and 2016 could be filled with either gas. If you're not sure which gas your vehicle has our technicians will gladly take a look and advise you accordingly.
The change over to R1234yf gas is because it is more environmentally friendly, the downside is the gas is significantly more expensive than R134a gas and this is reflected in the increased costs to carry out servicing and repairs on the newer air conditioning systems.
The majority of modern vehicles have air conditioning and climate control installed as standard, however most drivers are unaware that air conditioning systems require servicing on a relatively frequent basis. Car manufacturers recommend that this be carried out every 2 years.
An air conditioning service is not something that's included in a standard service schedule so it is something that can be easily disregarded. It is advisable that you schedule an air conditioning service if your car is over 2 years old, it is also highly recommended that you exercise your air conditioning system routinely in order to facilitate optimal functioning.
There are a number of faults that commonly occur with air conditioning and climate control systems, these include:
Natural loss of gas: This happens when the AC is neglected during cold periods or if is not regularly serviced. This can be up to 20% of gas volume.
Loss of gas due to leakage: There are many naturally occurring, unavoidable circumstances that can cause leakages, for example the gritting salts used during the icy periods can cause corrosion in the pipe work and condensers.
Electrical faults: Problems with fuses, pressure switches, cables and relays can cause systems to stop running.
Air conditioning Anti-bacterial clean - banish nasty smells
Don't put up with nasty smells in your car air conditioning. Those unpleasant odours are caused by bacteria which build up over time in the air con system and vents and circulate around your car.
Book an antibacterial air conditioning clean with pollen filter replacement at Hilltop Garage Services. This powerful deep clean eradicates 99% of bacteria and leaves your air con smelling fresh.
Our air conditioning cleaning service can also be beneficial for those with breathing difficulties.
Our car air con cleaning process uses a special anti-bacterial solution to remove bacteria that have built up over time. It's a professional-quality 'deep clean' that removes 99% of built-up bacteria from the air con system and vents.
Many people choose car air conditioning cleaning because they notice unpleasant smells when they turn their system on. This process kills the bacteria that cause these smells, leaving your air conditioning smelling fresh and clean.
However, this isn't the only reason to tackle the nasty bacteria. Using a bacteria-ridden air conditioning system can circulate germs around your car, and can exacerbate problems for those with breathing difficulties.
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