Keeping AC on is beneficial for drivers, but many are unaware of complete benefits and risks, according to refrigerants leader
DUBAI, UAE: Honeywell (NYSE: HON) today released its top tips for remaining safe and alert on the road during what has been widely considered as the Middle East’s hottest summer on record. While the high temperatures are slowly abating, drivers still rely on their cars’ air conditioning (AC) to stay cool and safe on the road. Honeywell is a leader in the development and manufacture of fluorine-based refrigerants, which are used in a variety of applications including vehicle AC systems.
Many drivers in the Middle East are not aware of the important health and safety benefits associated with proper use and maintenance of their cars’ AC systems. In order to increase awareness and educate drivers on the benefits of staying cool and safe all year round, Honeywell suggests the following tips:
- Keep cool to stay alert: Studies suggest that high temperatures are likely to cause drowsiness and dull drivers’ alertness*. For example, when driving in 27°C weather, driver reaction times are 22 percent slower than at 21°C**. So setting your car’s air conditioning temperature to 21 or 22°C not only helps you cool, but also alert, responsive and safe.
- Clear the air: Car air conditioning systems remove up to 88 percent of the pollutants and allergens that come into a car from outside air***. So keeping the AC on helps keep you sneeze – and headache – free.
- Proper maintenance: When servicing your car, be sure to have your AC filters cleaned too, since they play such an important role in removing pollutants from incoming air.
- Beware of counterfeit refrigerants: When counterfeit refrigerants are used instead of those from a regulated manufacturer, they can cause performance or even safety issues. These refrigerants might not cool as efficiently, leading to increased costs for drivers. In some cases, there might even be a higher flammability risk.
A 2015 Honeywell survey found that 71 percent of UAE residents are fearful of counterfeit refrigerants, as they are a persistent problem in the region. To ensure that appropriate products are used, always service your car at a reputable garage and ask for an original, branded refrigerant from an authorized dealer.
“With some of the world’s hottest weather recorded in the Middle East this year, drivers across the region are at an increased risk of ineffective or malfunctioning cooling systems in their cars,” said Amir Naqvi, business development manager for Honeywell Fluorine Products. “As a global leader in the manufacturing of refrigerants, we want to share our expertise to ensure that drivers and passengers across the region have the knowledge—and the tools—to stay safe this summer.”
Honeywell is a world leader in the development, manufacture and supply of refrigerants that are sold worldwide under the Genetron® and Solstice® brand names for a range of applications, including building and automobile air conditioning, as well as refrigeration. These include Solstice yf, a next-generation automobile refrigerant that has a global warming potential (GWP) 99.9 percent lower than carbon dioxide and the current, widely used R-134a refrigerant, which is being phased out by government regulations in Europe and other regions. Solstice yf is a near drop-in replacement for R-134a, requiring little to no retrofitting, and provides similar or better cooling performance.
Honeywell is committed to educating all members of the automotive supply chain—from automakers to end customers—about the risks of using counterfeit products. This includes training seminars for contractors, distributors and customs officers to provide them with information about the dangers of counterfeit products that can be shared with end customers.
All Honeywell refrigerants are subject to extensive quality and safety testing before they are sold. The safety and quality of Genetron and Solstice refrigerants can only be guaranteed when buying from Honeywell-authorized dealers.
*indoor.lbl.gov/sites/all/files/lbnl-60946.pdf
**tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00140139608964434#.VRVU9OETwiA
***biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/10/146
Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies (PMT) is a global leader in developing advanced materials, process technologies and automation solutions. PMT’s Advanced Materials businesses manufacture a wide variety of high-performance products, including environmentally friendlier refrigerants and materials used to manufacture end products such as bullet-resistant armor, nylon, computer chips and pharmaceutical packaging. Process technologies developed by Honeywell UOP form the foundation for most of the world’s refiners, efficiently producing gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, petrochemicals and renewable fuels. Honeywell Process Solutions business is a pioneer in automation control, instrumentation and services for the oil and gas, refining, pulp and paper, industrial power generation, chemicals and petrochemicals, biofuels, life sciences, and metals, minerals and mining industries.
Honeywell is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; turbochargers; and performance materials.
