We all love staying cool on the hottest days of the year. But what you don’t know about your car’s air conditioner might be hurting the environment. 

In order to produce cooled air, your car requires refrigerant in the system. If it’s working well, your car will be fully operational, delivering cool air. As a car ages, that can change. Suddenly, a 90-degree day occurs, and you notice your air conditioner isn’t working as it should. It might be the refrigerant, which impacts more than the cold air inside your car. 

Your car’s air conditioner relies heavily on refrigerant to keep you cool on hot summer days. However, there are times when your air conditioner may not be cooling your car as it should, or you may notice weird smells or noises. At times like these, it’s essential to find and fix the issue quickly because leaking refrigerant can cause lasting harm to the environment. 

How Your Car’s Air Conditioner Works

Before diving into refrigerant’s impact, it’s important to understand how a car’s air conditioner works. 

A car’s air conditioning system removes heat and moisture from the air inside the vehicle, resulting in cooler and drier air. 

It starts with the compressor. The air conditioning system is powered by a belt-driven compressor, typically located on the engine. The compressor circulates refrigerant throughout the system.

The refrigerant plays a crucial role in the air conditioning process. It’s a chemical compound with properties that allow it to change from a gas to a liquid and vice versa at relatively low temperatures. The most common refrigerant used in cars is currently R134a, though newer vehicles may use a more environmentally friendly alternative, such as R1234yf.

The refrigerant starts in a gaseous state and enters the condenser, usually located at the front of the car. The condenser cools the refrigerant by transferring heat to the outside air. As a result, the refrigerant condenses into a high-pressure liquid.

The high-pressure liquid refrigerant passes through an expansion valve, which reduces its pressure and converts it into a low-pressure mixture of liquid and vapor. This expansion causes a significant drop in temperature.

The cool, low-pressure refrigerant enters the evaporator, typically inside the dashboard. The warm air from the car’s interior is blown over the evaporator’s fins. The refrigerant absorbs heat from the air, causing the refrigerant to evaporate and turn back into a gas.

The cool air is blown by a blower fan, powered by the car’s electrical system, and directed through the vents into the car’s cabin. This provides the desired cooling effect.

The gaseous refrigerant returns to the compressor, and the cycle starts again. The compressor pressurizes the gas, and the process repeats, continually cooling the air inside the car until the desired temperature is reached.

It’s important to note that the air conditioning system also dehumidifies the car’s air. When warm air passes over the cold evaporator, moisture condenses on the evaporator’s surface, reducing the humidity inside the vehicle.

4 Signs the Air Conditioner Needs Help

It’s easy to notice an air conditioning system that isn’t at peak performance. 

• Blowing Warm Air – If your air conditioner is blowing warm air, this could indicate a refrigerant leak. When there’s a leak, there is insufficient refrigerant to cool the air, causing it to blow warm.
• Weird Noises – Strange noises usually indicate a problem with the compressor. The refrigerant could be too low or pooling in specific areas, causing damage to the system.
• Nasty Smells – When mold or bacteria grow in the evaporator, they release an unpleasant odor into the car’s air. Removing these smells can be challenging and sometimes require a complete system overhaul.
• Visible Refrigerant Leaks – If you notice oily or greasy spots on your driveway or around certain parts of your car, your air conditioner may have a refrigerant leak. It’s best to get this checked by a professional because refrigerant harms the environment.

The Difference Between R134a and R1234yf Refrigerant

In the past, R134a refrigerant was the standard refrigerant used in cars. However, modern cars now use R1234yf refrigerant, which is more eco-friendly and less environmentally harmful. 

Pay particular attention to what your car currently uses. R134a and R1234yf refrigerants should not be mixed because they have different properties. Doing so could cause serious system damage.

What a Refrigerant Leak Can Do to the Environment

A refrigerant leak can have several negative impacts on the environment. 

Ozone Depletion – Many refrigerants used in older car air conditioning systems, such as R12 (Freon), contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). These chemicals are known to be ozone-depleting substances. When released, these substances can reach the upper layers of the atmosphere and contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer. The ozone layer helps protect the Earth from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Its depletion can lead to increased UV exposure, which has various detrimental effects on human health and the environment.

Global Warming Potential – Many refrigerants, including the commonly used R134a, belong to a class of chemicals known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). HFCs have a high global warming potential (GWP), meaning they significantly impact climate change when released into the atmosphere. HFCs trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect and global warming. In recent years, efforts have been made to transition to more environmentally friendly refrigerants with lower GWPs, such as R1234yf, which has a much lower impact on climate change.

Air Quality – Refrigerant leaks can also impact local air quality. When refrigerants escape into the air, they can contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, a harmful air pollutant. Ground-level ozone can cause respiratory problems, especially for people with asthma or other respiratory conditions. Additionally, refrigerants may react with other contaminants in the atmosphere, leading to the formation of secondary pollutants that can be harmful to human health and ecosystems.

To mitigate these environmental impacts, it is essential to address refrigerant leaks promptly. Regular maintenance and inspection of car air conditioning systems can help detect and fix leaks. It is also important to ensure proper disposal and recycling of old refrigerants to prevent their release into the environment.

It’s Time to Get Your Car’s Air Conditioner Ready for Summer Heat

Your car air conditioner is a lifesaver, but it can also cause severe environmental damage if not cared for properly. Regular checks, maintenance, and prompt action can help keep your air conditioner running smoothly and reduce your ecological footprint. 

If you notice any of the above signs or suspect a refrigerant leak, please take precautions and contact a professional. Working together can help reduce environmental damage and keep the air we breathe safe and clean.

There’s one thing Colorado isn’t short of – sunny days. Colorado advertises 300 days of annual sunshine, mild temperatures, and record snowfalls – all of that makes it the perfect place to live, no matter how you like your weather.

Of course, once you live here, you have to drive in said weather. Those record snowfalls can be troublesome if you’re trying to get somewhere on time. And when the temperatures creep higher – 80s, 90s, 100s – you’ll be sweating it out as you make a break from your home to the car, and everywhere you choose to go.

But what if your car air conditioner doesn’t work when you need it most? You open up the windows, drive for a bit, and wait for the system to cool down. Only it never does, and you’re stuck roasting in a hot car, stuck to your leather seats.

Why won’t your car air conditioner work?

What is black death?

Imagine a sludgy, sticky, dark goo slowly flowing inside your car’s internal workings. As the refrigerant in your car’s air conditioning system breaks down, it slowly moves inside the compressor.

Refrigerant is a fluid that helps your car operate at its best. Think of it as the motor oil for your air conditioning system. But as this fluid breaks down, it thickens. And as it moves into the compressor, it gums up everywhere, including the compressor, condenser, evaporator, and all the moving parts.

And that sticky, grimy substance won’t just disappear. You have to replace the major pieces, and flush the lines clean. Yep, you guessed it, this isn’t an easy (or budget-friendly) process.

Of course, this is the worst case scenario. There are warning signs your car’s air conditioning system is having trouble long before it completely shuts down. Catch it early, and it’s a much easier (and less expensive) repair.

It starts with knowing your car’s air conditioner

From the moment you drive your car home, it’s important to take note of how it runs. Pay attention to the noises it makes, the feel of the drive, the smell as you turn different systems on. This is your base.

Two things make all the difference in keeping your car operating as it should.

1. Paying attention to changes – if you notice any change, don’t ignore it. The sooner you get it checked by one of our mechanics, the easier it will be to fix. And in most cases, a lot less expensive too.

2. Performing regular maintenance – along with oil changes and tune ups, if a mechanic completes a diagnostic test regularly, it can alert you to potential problems long before they create lasting damage to your vehicle.

These are the things you should watch for with your air conditioning system.

An air conditioner with weak airflow

Remember when your car was new, and you could barely handle the cold blast when you turned your air conditioner on high? Slowly, that blast has disappeared. The main causes of weak airflow include:

• A hose has come loose. Through all of its use, the blower hose that connects to the blower unit has wiggled free.
• The ventilation fan no longer works. If the fan is broken, it can’t push air through the system.
• Seals have been compromised. Think of all the rattling, clanking, and banging going on underneath the hood as you drive each day. Bumps, potholes, and even speed on the highway can slowly rattle connections apart. There are a variety of seals within the air conditioning system that can eventually wear down, such as the core case seal or the blower hose seal.
• Contaminants such as mold and mildew can build up over time. Water flows in the air conditioning system. That residue moisture from the cooling process sometimes accumulates. When this happens, mold and mildew can start to build. Not only will it impact the air flow, but it can also impact your health as it blows this contaminated air supply into your vehicle.

An air conditioner that isn’t as cold as it once was

Your air conditioner is still working … sort of. There is cold air, but it’s not as cold as it once was. That lack of cold air can be caused by a number of things.

• A failed blower motor
• A vacuum leak
• A failed switch or fuse
• A damaged condenser or evaporator
• A failed compressor
• A clogged refrigerant hose
• A refrigerant leak

When one part of the air conditioning system no longer works, it throws the entire system off. If you’re experiencing an air supply that isn’t as cold as it once was, chances are there’s a problem somewhere in the system. Even the smallest leak can quickly escalate into a major repair.

An air conditioner that smells bad when you turn it on

This goes beyond the smell you first get when you turn it on for the first time. If you continually notice an odorous smell that resembles an old gym locker, it could be:

• A dirty air cabin filter
• A moldy evaporator case

Because the system has been compromised, you’ll continue to get that smell until you fix the system.

Is there a way to test for an air conditioner leak?

Since one of the biggest reasons for an air conditioner problem is a leak somewhere in the system, there are a few ways you can test to find out where it’s starting from.

The first way is by using a fluorescent dye. This is the least expensive and does a good job at detecting a leak. However, if the leak is tucked away from your line of vision, it can be difficult to detect.

The second way is with a sniffer. This is a tool that is placed near a suspected problem area to find the leak. When it finds a refrigerant leak, it emits a warning signal to the user. A faster beep means the leak is larger in size.

Both of these are dependent on knowing your vehicle and how it operates. You can trust one of our mechanics to find the root of the problem, and offer you the best solution to fix your car’s air conditioning problem.

Why fix your air conditioning problem right away?

Because the longer it goes unfixed, the bigger the potential problem can grow. If left unchecked, it can further damage your air flow system, and spread into other systems throughout your car. If a leak or crack turns worse, corrosion can occur on other parts, belts and lines can snap, doing further damage to parts nearby.

Are you set for the summer season with your air conditioner? How can we help you stay cool no matter how high the temperatures climb?