Many questions were submitted to Popular Mechanics recently about using nitrogen filled tires. The questions ranged from possible increased fuel mileage to improving the life of the tires. Read on to find out more!
A Nitrogen Filled Tire Provides Pure Gas And No Water
Regular old compressed air contains around 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and lingering bits of water vapor and noble gasses at any given time. To fill a tire with pure nitrogen, a machine must filter out the rest first. This 100% gas fill results in no water vapor or other bits, just pure dry nitrogen.
How Is That Relevant?
It’s relevant to the other question of if nitrogen has any effect on the life of a tire. And the answer is, yes. By filling a tire with pure nitrogen, you prevent any form of moisture such as water vapor from entering it. In turn, moisture doesn’t build up or condensate on the walls or around the rims. Thus, decreasing the amount of deterioration found in tires filled with unfiltered compressed air.
Will It Help Fuel Mileage?
Similar to the above, filling your tires with pure nitrogen will improve fuel mileage slightly. The driver will not be able to feel the difference in how the vehicle handles, but the nitrogen maintains a more even distribution inside the tire. This cuts down on fuel costs and tire maintenance.
Stop The Slow Burn
The 21% oxygen in a normal tire fill will contribute to oxidation to both the rubber and rim of your tires. Think of oxidation as a slow burn without the fire. As time passes it happens to just about everything from food to plastics. The problem also compounds with the amount of water that’s in the air at the time of the fill. With almost pure levels of dry Nitrogen, this issue is greatly mitigated which increases the life of your tire and rim.
If the benefits sound intriguing for you, and you don’t mind the little bit higher price tag, Schedule an appointment with us. Interested about nitrogen filled tires but have questions? Give us a call, we’d be happy to answer any questions you might have.