CoolCar Air-Conditioning Centres leads the industry in environmentally friendly practices.
Monday 16 November 2015, 8:56AM
By Media PA
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Award-winning CoolCar Air-Conditioning Centres are committed to doing the best for the environment.
Refrigerants used in vehicle air-conditioning systems are potent ozone-depleting substances (ODS) or synthetic greenhouse gases (SGG), which means the loss of refrigerant to the environment should be prevented.
When an air-conditioning system is leaking a cheap, quick fix is to ‘top it up’ with refrigerant and most people just think their air-conditioning needs “re-gassing” when it breaks down.
“We ensure refrigerant is not lost to the atmosphere during servicing,’’ says Catherine Tocker, from CoolCar Air-Conditioning Centre. This means educating consumers that a system that is low on refrigerant is invariably like that because it has a leak that needs attention. The current refrigerant, R134a has a global warming potential of 1400 which means releasing 300g to 1kg of refrigerant (a common range of refrigerant amounts used in cars) by re-gassing a system when it is leaking, is equivalent to releasing 420 to 1400kg of CO₂ to the atmosphere. So, finding and fixing that leak is part of the process. It is true there are occasions when refrigerant is lost due to an accidental release. However, this should be able to be determined from a vehicle’s history and inspection.
“The future is up to all of us and that includes an awareness that we’re all responsible for looking after our planet. This includes professional air-conditioning repairs that address the symptoms, the cause and takes all practicable steps to prevent future release of refrigerants to the atmosphere,” adds Catherine. As part of this, vehicle owners and mechanics should be aware that refrigerant recovery should be performed if ever the air-conditioning needs emptying before repairs to the vehicle as venting to the atmosphere is illegal.
“Make sure your vehicle is being worked on by a company, such as CoolCar Air-Conditioning, that is aware of its obligations and complies with the regulations and industry best practice,” says Catherine.
CoolCar Air-Conditioning Centres adhere to the Climate Change Response Act 2001 and Ozone Layer Protection Act 1996. These Acts makes it illegal to release motor vehicle refrigerant to the atmosphere where that release can be prevented. CoolCar Air-Conditioning Centres also adhere to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996. ‘’Our technicians are Approved Fillers for compressed refrigerant gases,’’ adds Catherine. “Ask to see your technician’s fillers certificate. If they don’t have one chances are there are other things they are not complying with when it comes to taking the best care of your vehicle air-conditioning and the environment. For instance, some people in the industry tell customers that it is not illegal to release R134a, only R12 (the ODS used in cars manufactured until 1994). Since January 2013 the preventable release of R134a is an offence. The government is serious about changing the culture leading to refrigerant loss so SGG refrigerants are subject to a carbon tax under the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Catherine recommends you get the real cause of the problem addressed, with proper repairs and replacement parts fitted. “This will save you money in the long term, as well as being better for the environment,” she says.
CoolCar Air-Conditioning Centres are a leading provider of air-conditioning and heating services for all types of vehicles including cars, trucks, agricultural vehicles, trains, tractors, buses and heavy equipment.
Contact CoolCar Air-Conditioning Centres:
North Shore, Auckland City, Onehunga, Manukau, East Tamaki, Hamilton and Waikato-wide
Ph 0508 266 5227 and select the centre nearest you.
Website: http://www.coolcar.co.nz/our-centres
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoolCar-Air-Conditioning-Centre-463013787156852/?fref=ts
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