So, everyone in the Edmonton Alberta area knows how great helium is ?
you know, party balloons, squeaky voices. But a lot of people around
Edmonton still haven't heard about the
benefits of nitrogen in your tires, and how it can help your tires. Here's some great advice from AutoNetTV, brought to you by Smart Brands Auto Group Inc..
Nitrogen has actually been around for a long time in the Edmonton
Alberta commercial sector, but it's just starting to catch on for
private vehicles in the T5V 0A9 zip code area.
Why nitrogen in your tires? Air is air, right? Actually, it turns out there is a difference.
Contact Smart Brands Auto Group Inc. to learn more about nitrogen in your tires
You can find us at:
15620-131 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T5V 0A9
Or call us at (780) 482-2010
The heart of the matter is
maintaining proper tire inflation. When your tires are properly inflated, they last longer, handle better and more safely, and save you money at the gas pump.
The problem is that tires filled in Edmonton with regular air can lose a
pound and a half of air pressure every month. This just happens as the
oxygen in the tire seeps out. So if you don't check your pressure for a
month or two, well, you can be significantly low ? low enough to
actually affect your handling, shorten tire life and waste money at the
fuel pump.
How does nitrogen help? Regular air contains about
78% nitrogen. Nitrogen is the largest molecule in air. It's dry and
non-flammable. Air also contains 21% oxygen, which is smaller and seeps
out of the tire three to four times faster than nitrogen.
So, a tire filled with nitrogen at
Smart Brands Auto Group Inc.
will take about six months to lose as much pressure as regular air does
in just one month. So it's more forgiving for those who don't check
their pressure every week.
Also, when oxygen is at higher
temperatures ? like those inside your tire when you've been driving for
awhile ? it oxidizes the inside of your tire. Getting the oxygen out of
your tire means that it'll last longer.
Who's using nitrogen? Well, let's start with
NASCAR
and Indy. These racers like nitrogen's ability to maintain consistent
tire pressure and reduce tire temperatures under very demanding
conditions. The US government requires all commercial aircraft to have
nitrogen in their tires. NASA and the US Military use nitrogen. The
mining industry has been filling those "humongous" tires with nitrogen
for years. And semi trucks and trailers are starting to use nitrogen
extensively.
You may have heard some detractors of nitrogen. But
the studies and white papers from tire and vehicle manufacturers
demonstrate that the technology really works.
In fact, a prominent
consumer research group
did a study where they filled some tires with air and some with
nitrogen and stacked them outside for a year. They observed that the
nitrogen filled tires did hold their pressure better,
but they couldn't see the economic benefit. But that particular test
has very little to do with the real world. Most tires are actually
holding up cars and they also get driven around and do a lot of work.
So if nitrogen helps them last longer, saves gas and gives safer handling, it's worth considering.