Since the invention of the automobile, tires have been filled with plain old air. In recent years, however, nitrogen has moved in as the tire filler of choice for many motorists as it has supposed benefits over air. Some people believe that the benefit of nitrogen in tires outweighs the one drawback, price, and others think filling tires with nitrogen is a waste of money. So is nitrogen really better than air? In some circumstances, yes it probably is; and in others, no it probably is just a waste of money.
More Expensive
It has become pretty easy to find tire dealers that offer nitrogen filling service. But where you would pay 25 cents (or nothing) to use an air compressor to fill all four tires, you can expect to pay up to ten dollars per tire to have them filled with nitrogen. It may seem like a great expense, but if nitrogen really does all that it is supposed to, it may be worth it.
Nitrogen is supposed to prolong the life of tires and increase gas mileage. Tires normally lose small amounts of air through minuscule holes in the surface of the tire. Over time, this leads to a small decrease in tire pressure, usually no more than a couple of psi. While most drivers will not notice this small drop in tire pressure, it will affect gas mileage and cause you to use more fuel.
The Costs Of Losing Pressure
Losing pressure also causes the tires to wear faster as more of the surface comes in contact with the road. This increase in surface area on the road also creates friction which will make the engine work harder. All these changes are normal and occur with air filled tires, and while it doesn't make much difference in the short term, over time it will have an impact on gas mileage as well as tire and engine wear.
Nitrogen Prevents Leakage
Tires filled with nitrogen can avoid the long term leakage of air as nitrogen does not react with rubber like air does and will not leak out. Nitrogen filled tires will stay inflated, unless there is a puncture, which will reduce tire and engine wear when compared to air filled tires. Gas mileage will also remain at optimal levels as tires suffer no loss of psi. Of course, if a tire is already riddled with microscopic holes caused from air leakage, nitrogen will still have a chance to escape.
Nitrogen is used in many high dollar tires that are used with race cars, aircraft, and military vehicles. These tires are very expensive and the cost of replacing them makes the cost of nitrogen in tires worth it. It is more economical to pay for nitrogen and preserve the life of the tires.
When Is It A Good Idea?
Since car tires are considerably less expensive than space shuttle tires, it is not necessarily a good idea to use nitrogen. If you have just invested in a brand new set of high quality tires and you want to preserve them, using nitrogen from the start will probably be an economical choice. If you have older tires that have already been filled with air, switching to nitrogen is probably not worth it.
Ernest Jarquio is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Just-Tires-n-Rims.com. He provides more resources on topics such as nitrogen in tires, discount tire centers and Tire Discounters that you can research on his website even while lounging in your living room.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ernest_Jarquio
More Expensive
It has become pretty easy to find tire dealers that offer nitrogen filling service. But where you would pay 25 cents (or nothing) to use an air compressor to fill all four tires, you can expect to pay up to ten dollars per tire to have them filled with nitrogen. It may seem like a great expense, but if nitrogen really does all that it is supposed to, it may be worth it.
Nitrogen is supposed to prolong the life of tires and increase gas mileage. Tires normally lose small amounts of air through minuscule holes in the surface of the tire. Over time, this leads to a small decrease in tire pressure, usually no more than a couple of psi. While most drivers will not notice this small drop in tire pressure, it will affect gas mileage and cause you to use more fuel.
The Costs Of Losing Pressure
Losing pressure also causes the tires to wear faster as more of the surface comes in contact with the road. This increase in surface area on the road also creates friction which will make the engine work harder. All these changes are normal and occur with air filled tires, and while it doesn't make much difference in the short term, over time it will have an impact on gas mileage as well as tire and engine wear.
Nitrogen Prevents Leakage
Tires filled with nitrogen can avoid the long term leakage of air as nitrogen does not react with rubber like air does and will not leak out. Nitrogen filled tires will stay inflated, unless there is a puncture, which will reduce tire and engine wear when compared to air filled tires. Gas mileage will also remain at optimal levels as tires suffer no loss of psi. Of course, if a tire is already riddled with microscopic holes caused from air leakage, nitrogen will still have a chance to escape.
Nitrogen is used in many high dollar tires that are used with race cars, aircraft, and military vehicles. These tires are very expensive and the cost of replacing them makes the cost of nitrogen in tires worth it. It is more economical to pay for nitrogen and preserve the life of the tires.
When Is It A Good Idea?
Since car tires are considerably less expensive than space shuttle tires, it is not necessarily a good idea to use nitrogen. If you have just invested in a brand new set of high quality tires and you want to preserve them, using nitrogen from the start will probably be an economical choice. If you have older tires that have already been filled with air, switching to nitrogen is probably not worth it.
Ernest Jarquio is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Just-Tires-n-Rims.com. He provides more resources on topics such as nitrogen in tires, discount tire centers and Tire Discounters that you can research on his website even while lounging in your living room.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ernest_Jarquio
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