- Ranjan Singh
- Dec 13, 2024
R134a Refrigerant: Quick Guide
The R134a was created back in the early nineties as a replacement for the R12. Back in the day, it was a big improvement with minor ozone depletion. Slowly R134a gained popularity due to its lower environmental impact which became the obvious choice as it a more eco-friendly for air conditioning systems.
In this article, we will discuss a brief overview of R134a used in aircon regas machines. If you are interested in knowing more about R134a refrigerant then keep reading.
What is R134a Refrigerant in an Aircon Regas Machine?
The R134a is a hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant. It is a powerful greenhouse gas with a GWP (global warming potential) value of 1,430. This means that the greenhouse effect of R134a is 1,430 times greater than the same amount of carbon dioxide over 100 years.
At room temperature, R134a is a safe, non-flammable, and colourless gas. It efficiently absorbs and releases heat during refrigeration because of its high thermodynamic properties. It works at moderate pressures and has a low boiling point of -26.3 degrees Celsius (-15.34 degrees Fahrenheit).
R134a is a non-toxic gas, but like all refrigerants, it does displace oxygen in a limited space. So, proper ventilation is a must when applying this gas to prevent asphyxiation (A condition in which the body doesn't receive enough oxygen).
What is The Use of R134a Refrigerant in An Aircon Regas Machine?
Aircon regas machines use R134a gas to recharge air conditioning systems in your vehicle when low on refrigerant. The regas machine is used by technicians to maintain and repair the vehicle's aircon system.
The process of regassing an air conditioner starts with removing the old refrigerant and vacuuming out any impurities. After removing the old refrigerant and old gases the machine starts to refill fresh R-134a gas. This way the air conditioner operates efficiently and gives cool air during hot weather. If want to know the step-by-step process of refilling the refrigerant in the vehicle air conditioning system then you can read our aircon regas machine guide.
The cooling capacity of the AAC (automotive air conditioning) system using R134a refrigerant is much higher than the R1234yf refrigerant. The big difference in cooling capacity can be attributed to the higher heat absorption capability of R134a.
The R134a AAC system shows a cooling capacity that is 5 to 25% higher than the R1234yf AAC system. Due to this, the increase in the cooling capacity of the system results in more absorption of heat energy, letting the evaporator effectively absorb more heat and give better cooling performance.
