There are two types of refrigerants used: R12 and R134a. When it's time for an AC recharge, turn to AutoZone. We learned the theory behind refrigeration and air conditioning, which centers on this wonderfully useful bit of physics: When liquid boils and evaporates into a gas, it expands and cools. More Buying Choices $6.66 (7 used & … “No one here will work on it,” he said. Therefore, overlooking it is not a smart move. For example, while R12 itself is similar to the halon used in fire extinguishers, when R12 is mixed with mineral oil—the most commonly-used lubricant oil in R12 systems—and aerosolized and burned, it creates phosgene gas, which was used as a chemical agent in WWI. The federal law also prohibits you from freeing the refrigerant in the air. But in order for refrigeration to work, you need something that has a low boiling point, something that exists as a gas at room temperature and can be easily pressurized into a liquid so that, when it is allowed to expand, it immediately boils at room temperature and cools. In fact, R12 was used for many years as a propellant in a variety of aerosol products and sprayed directly into the air, and it is closely related to the halon used in fire extinguishers. The newer systems don’t use refrigerant, so make sure to check your unit before deciding a leak is the cause of inefficient cooling.If you’re certain a leak is the problem, you should purcha… GooMeng R1234YF Car AC Refrigerant Charge Hose Kit,Auto 1/2 Acme LH R1234YF Air Conditioning Refrigerant Charging Hose with Gauge. Because of R1234yf’s mild flammability, BMW and Mercedes are now adopting R744. R22 will phase out completely by 2020. Because the two oils were different, R134a certainly wasn’t a “drop-in” replacement for R12. Then there are three new EPA-approved “climate-friendly alternatives.” There is R1234yf, which is already being used on new cars but is classified as “mildly flammable.” At $70 per pound, no one is using it in retrofit applications. As part of doing that, you often wind up replacing major portions of the system—not because that’s strictly required in order to convert it to R134a, but because that’s what you need to do in order to get it functional again. The Environmental Protection Agency outlawed ozone depleting substances in 1994 and, as a result, R-134a Freon is now used instead. It was replaced by R-410A in 2010. If you use anything other than R134a, you’ll likely create a situation where you must be the one servicing the system. How to Remove Refrigerant From Car AC (3 Steps) International manufacturing of new R12 ceased in 1996, but existing R12 can still be reclaimed and purified. Piston Slap: When the Signal Acquisition Module (SAM) surrenders? The problem is that some inexpensive available refrigerants—ammonia and propane, for example—are poisonous and/or flammable. Don’t do it. With a tight modernized system that’ll accept either refrigerant, you should then consider where and how the system will be operated. Early automotive air conditioning systems started cropping up in the mid-20th century. As long as the compressor was working well, it could be drained, filled with R134a-compatible oil, and reused. In a properly sealed system the gas can continue being compressed and released over and over, so long as it doesn't leak out. Turn Off Stop/Start. It’s often said that R12 is no longer available. What happens when the wrong refrigerant is charged to an AC unit? The problem in all of this is the sentence “As long as the system is functioning correctly and not leaking.” Who in their right mind would take a tight, cold, R12-based system and convert it to less-efficient R134a? Car Air-Conditioning Mechanisms and the Role of Compressors Liquid (refrigerant) is cycled throughout a sealed air conditioning system in a repeated process of vaporization (evaporation), liquefaction, and re-vaporization. Here is how you will remove the refrigerant from the car’s AC. By the 1995 model year, all new vehicles sold in the United States with air conditioners used HFC-134a refrigerant. To be sure, you can check the unit itself for a label that specifies which type of coolant to add. Note also that, unlike mineral oil, both PAG oil and ester oil are hygroscopic—that is, they absorb water. Refrigerant gas does not “wear out” like oil nor is it used up like fuel. R134a reacts with water to form hydrofluoric acid which damages the internal A/C components. There are different types of A/C Freon. You will likely first notice refrigerant gas loss when your air conditioner stops cooling as well as it should. 3. However, it was found that when a car emits R-12 Freon, it depletes the ozone layer. With new R12 no longer being manufactured, the market price soared to $100/pound. Unfortunately, taking the longer view of things, even if you do leak-test a car thoroughly and properly all A/C systems leak eventually, so any can of R12 you put into a car will likely wind up in the atmosphere, an eventuality that I am less and less comfortable with. Tom King published his first paid story in 1976. The ozone layer is present 10 to 30 miles above the earth’s surface in the stratosphere where it protect us from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. As you can imagine, this Freon had a … Keep the Freon can upright to only charge with gaseous Freon. EPA is authorized to assess fines of up to $37,500 per day for any violation of these regulations.”. Ending the storage shell game and searching for car-centric property, Watch the Hyperion hydrogen hypercar hit the road, Chip Foose reimagines the iconic Jaguar E-type – Ep. A gentleman in Canada was very interested until he learned about the R12. R-22 is an CFC refrigerant. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), including R12. I can tell you that R12 is some seriously great refrigerant; it gets both of these cars meat-locker cold almost from the instant the A/C is turned on. Never. The manufacture and sale of the small cans of R12 used by hobbyists to “top off” a system also ended, although New Old Stock (NOS) cans of R12 are still privately traded on eBay and Craigslist (I’ll come back to that). 1. Overcharging the system can be as damaging as chronic refrigerant gas loss. The molecule size of R134a is smaller than that of R12, so there was concern that R134a could leak out through the hoses and flare fittings that R12 systems used. So the oil must be compatible with the refrigerant. Certainly no one selling cans of R12 on Craigslist is asking for your EPA 609 card. But the problem with R12 is twofold. A relatively small loss of refrigerant gas can reduce the efficiency of your air-conditioning system dramatically. On a long-dormant system, the odds are very high that it’s dead because it has no refrigerant in it, which means it has leaked out… which means there’s a leak that must be located and fixed. Chronic low levels of refrigerant gas can cause the air-conditioner compressor to heat up and damage it permanently. Locate the Low Pressure Side Refrigerant Fill Port 1. The refrigerant is the fluid that is used in the car’s air conditioning system. To take one of these and convert it to R134a was usually a recipe for disappointment. R12 systems used mineral oil, but unfortunately mineral oil doesn’t dissolve in R134a. The refrigerant transfers the heat as it changes from the liquid state to gas state. When R12’s effects on the ozone layer became known and it was superseded by R134a, EPA came down hard with large fines on both professionals and DIY-ers. This week, we discuss the thing that’s actually boiling and cooling—the refrigerant itself. A 10-percent loss of refrigerant gas can reduce the efficacy of your air conditioner by 20 percent or more. You can find many videos and web forum posts where people retrofit R152a into cars that originally had R12 and profess excellent results, but it is not approved by the EPA for retrofit applications, only new car applications. To test the pressure, turn the vehicle off and locate the low side pressure port. R134a refrigerant is common, but many new vehicles are now switching to 1234yf refrigerant. The compressor circulates refrigerant, usually R-134a, through the condenser and evaporator, which are connected via tubes and hoses. Note that R134a is also sometimes called “Freon,” even labeled as such on the can, so it’s best to be clear and use the names R12 and R134a. … Anyone selling R12 is required to verify that the buyer has an EPA Section 609 certification to work with mobile vehicle air conditioning (MVAC) systems. But if you live in a hot climate, want to daily-drive the car, and the car has a tiny-capacity A/C system which, even after modernization, may only perform marginally, you may want to consider sticking with R12. However, the operating pressures are reportedly four times those of other refrigerants, so retrofit appears out of the question. Bottom line, R134a simply doesn’t cool as well as R12. Refrigerant and oil capacity guides are based on data provided by sources such as AllData and Mitchell. And it was safe—neither poisonous to breathe, nor flammable. You can look up the law yourself at www.epa.gov/mvac, but basically it boils down to three things. But once you’re on that path, you can improve the system with a new compressor and parallel-flow condenser which, in most cases, will allow you to get good results with R134a. Locate the refrigerant fill port … We carry R134a refrigerant, PAG46 oil, AC stop leak, AC system cleaner, and more. Thus you see how R134a conversion was often applied to systems that were not working correctly, if they were working at all. R-410A is a type of HFC refrigerant that is widely used in newer AC units, replacing older HCFC coolants. The first one is called R12, while the other one is R134a. Since these days a can of R134a is about $15, the cost differential isn’t what it was in the panicked days of the mid-1990s. Unfortunately, the widespread use of R12 appeared to be significantly degrading the Earth’s ozone layer, potentially causing a worldwide health crisis. Freon is a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) that has been linked to ozone depletion, so it is quickly being phased out of use. R134a systems operate at higher discharge-side pressures than R12, which can cause compressor seals to leak. The issue is whether you should. In contrast, the most likely reason you’d consider recharging with an “alternative refrigerant” is because the refrigerant leaked out of your car and you’re trying to avoid doing a full-on A/C rejuvenation which includes finding the leak and properly changing refrigerants. You can spend interesting evenings going down the rabbit hole online and reading posts from folks who vigorously defend flammable refrigerants and say, “You do know that your car carries 20 gallons of flammable gasoline, don’t you?” Yes, but gasoline usually isn’t routed through the passenger compartment, and there’s a zero-tolerance policy toward gasoline leakage. King holds a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Southwestern Adventist College. R134a is not an ozone-destroying agent, but it is a greenhouse gas, and is illegal to vent as well. Automobile manufacturers began to transition to the non-ozone depleting refrigerant, HFC-134a, with 1992 model year vehicles. For starters, R12 was the one that is on older vehicles. His new book, Just Needs a Recharge: The Hack Mechanic™ Guide to Vintage Air Conditioning, is now available on Amazon. If your unit was built prior to 2010, it's likely going to use R-22. Second, as you’ll see below, if you have to perform work on an A/C system that has refrigerant in it, it is illegal to vent the refrigerant (to let it escape into the atmosphere); it must be captured and recovered. Other brands of R-22 refrigerant gas are made by other manufacturers. Stay on the right side of the law, the environment, and your conscience, and don’t vent refrigerant. These are cars with poor A/C reputations, which is precisely why I continue to use R12 in them. eBay requires that anyone posting an auction for R12 check that the buyer has that certification, but eBay has no way to enforce it. Over the years the chemical structure of these refrigerant gases like R-12 or R-14 have been replaced in general usage in response to environmental regulations by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Actually, a car's air-conditioning system can run for years without recharging if properly maintained. And then there is the very interesting refrigerant R152a, which is the ingredient in “keyboard duster,” minus the bittering agent added to prevent inhalant abuse. 2. We’re most familiar with water, which we see as ice when it’s cold, liquid when it’s at room temperature, and steam when we boil it. Selected for its low flammability and safety, as well as because it's kinder to the environment, almost every car built since 1994 is equipped with R134 refrigerant. – Paula. R22 refrigerant, sometimes known as R22 Freon or HCFC-22 Freon, is an environmental danger because it contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer. And that brings us to…, I continue to use R12 in two of my cars—my 1972 BMW 2002tii and 1973 Bavaria. Have lost refrigerant gas replaced by professionals. The question instead is: Why is the system dead? Today, nearly all new vehicles offer air … Yes, there’s a certain irony in the fact that we’ve gone full-circle from the invasive “you’ll need to replace almost everything including the compressor and hoses in order to properly convert R12 to R134a” to “you don’t need to replace all that much; just flush it, new oil, new drier and o-rings,” and back to “you’ll need to replace almost everything including the compressor, hoses, and the condenser.” But this change has occurred both because the cars are that much older than they were when the R12 to R134a change occurred in the mid-1990s, and there is now a better understanding of the need to take advantage of updated compressors and condensers in order to get the A/C systems to blow adequately cold with R134a. Reusing Refrigerant: Refrigerant must be properly recycled or reclaimed before it can be reused, even if it is being returned to the vehicle from which it was removed. Follow these steps to retrofit air conditioning in cars to new refrigerant, such as R-134a. Posted on January 2, 2018 at 3:28 pm. Aupoko R134A AC Refrigerant Charge Hose, 1/2’’ Acme Can Opener Tap Dispensing Valve, and Recharge Hose with Pressure Gauge, Fits for Car AC Air Conditioning Refrigerant 4.3 out of 5 stars 298 $12.99$12.99 Get it as soon as Fri, Nov 6 Other brands of R-22 refrigerant gas are made by other manufacturers. R-410A. You can recharge your A/C system with chicken soup (lousy refrigerant, by the way) and no black helicopters will come to your house, but in a world where people usually don’t hold onto their cars forever, R134a is still the best choice for retrofit applications. Of course, the receiver/drier needs to be replaced, as it does any time an A/C system is opened. Also, the EPA 609 certification can be easily obtained by taking an online exam. Many drivers assume their air-conditioning system consumes coolant oil much as the engine uses fuel. 1. Turning the can upside down will charge with liquid Freon and should only be done by professional AC technicians. There are other EPA-approved refrigerants such as “Hot Shot” and “Freeze 12,” which you can find here. Keeping Cool: An AC History. The compressor should then be filled with R134a-specific oil (usually PAG oil) and the system evacuated and recharged. To be absolutely clear, these refrigerants are not EPA-approved and shouldn’t be used. The climate control fan blows air over the evaporator, and any heat in the air is absorbed by the refrigerant. We earn a commission if you click this link and make … 4.1 out of 5 stars 196. An AC doesn’t “use up” refrigerant. Because of this, in the early 1930s, a new refrigerant based on a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), specifically dichlorodifluoromethane, was developed. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. First, it is a pernicious ozone-destroying agent, so if you are going to use it in a car, you are morally required to do everything under the sun to thoroughly leak-test the system before charging it with R12. The refrigerant used in AC nowadays plays a crucial role in the working and efficiency of the unit. Until a few years ago, many air conditioners sold in the United States used the refrigerant chlorodifluoromethane, usually referred to “R-22.” R-22 is one of a number of gases marketed under the brand name Freon, and has been commonly used as a coolant in air conditioners, heat pumps, and other appliances. Literally, you needn’t call a professional as our experts explain through the ABC to remove refrigerant from car ac system. Make a container ready to discharge the refrigerant. You can get it and use it. Whether it’s in your car or home, many air conditioners manufactured before 2003 use Freon as the refrigerant that cools the warm air. As you probably know, matter can exist in three states—solid, liquid, and gas. Charging with liquid Freon can overload the system, dilute the circulating oil, and cause damage to the compressor. The following bullets are verbatim from EPA’s website: There is an additional requirement that the car’s A/C have charging fittings that are unique to the refrigerant being used, but it’s the venting part that’s of the most interest, as it’s the area where you can get fined. 4, three new EPA-approved “climate-friendly alternatives.”, 5 pieces of terrible advice I’ve been given about project cars, Wrenchin’ Wednesday: Stop hacking up factory harnesses, Piston Slap: Bringing the notch to an STI’s shifter, My surprising infatuation with a track T roadster, How to remove studs and broken bolts with spare hardware, ECU and EFI 101: A beginner’s guide to performance tuning, 5 foreign cars that were copied from American style. Bear in mind that federal -- and many state -- laws prohibit the knowing release of Freon into the atmosphere. In addition, there was the lubricant issue. R12 is known as the old-fashioned refrigerant and was used in cars pre-1944. That’s simply not true. R-22 was the primary Refrigerant used for home and commercial units but was banned due to the harm it caused to the O-Zone layer. If a car is low on refrigerant could the cause of the low refrigerant be natural dissipation of the refrigerant? Initially, an invasive recipe was proposed: the system should be flushed to remove any traces of the old R12-specific mineral oil, the compressor and expansion valve should be replaced with R134a-specific versions to perform correctly, and the old hoses should be replaced with 134a-specific barrier hoses to forestall leakage. In addition, there is a $10,000 “rat-out” fee your neighbor can collect if you’re venting refrigerant and he tattles on you. So you should never need to recharge your air conditioner with more Freon—unless there’s a leak. Freon is the brand name of a type of air-conditioning refrigerant gas manufactured by DuPont Chemicals. The scientists found that the Freon-R12 gas is the most damaging to the ozone layer. In addition to the low boiling point, there are two other de facto requirements for refrigerant: It shouldn’t be poisonous, and it shouldn’t be flammable. You can shop online for same day in-store pick up or go to your local AutoZone to find the right AC solution for you and your vehicle. $16.98 $ 16. Over time, a credible middle ground emerged. This … You can recharge your A/C system with chicken soup (lousy refrigerant, by the way) and no black helicopters will come to your house, but in a world where people usually don’t hold onto their cars forever, R134a is still the best choice for retrofit applications. If your car has a leak, you are legally obligated to have the leak repaired before recharging the system. Freon is the brand name of a type of air-conditioning refrigerant gas manufactured by DuPont Chemicals. He passed. At low levels, the evaporator coils can ice up. It is an HFC refrigerant as well. By international agreement in 1987 (the Montreal Protocol), the use and production of CFCs such as R12 began to be phased out, with automobile manufacturers required to stop using it by the end of the 1994 model year. The most common refrigerants used for air conditioning over the years include: 1. One essential element of climate control systems is the refrigerant. Originally, R-12 Freon was used in car air conditioners. State EPA is angry with you And some combination of: * Nothing * Compressor is inefficient * Compressor can’t work at all #1 is certain. Nevertheless, repeat after me: It is illegal to vent refrigerant. Two types of refrigerant are used in automotive air conditioners. Because A/C compressors have moving parts, they require oil. But many European cars, such as the vintage BMWs I love, had A/C systems that never functioned all that well even when they were new and charged up with R12. A set of R134a-specific charging port adapters should be installed to eliminate the possibility of refrigerant cross-contamination. The issue is that you need to reach the point where the system is functional and leak-free. Types of Refrigerant Used in AC Nowadays. The concern that the original R12 hoses would leak R134a like a screen door on a submarine appeared to be largely unfounded, as the insides of original hoses seemed to naturally become impregnated with a combination of refrigerant and oil that acted as a barrier. I’m not a lawyer, but charging a known-leaky system with something flammable sounds like culpable negligence to me. It became known as R12 or Freon. R-404A is primarily used transport refrigeration. Type #2: R134a -- The One That's (Probably) In Your Car Right Now. Since you can’t vent any refrigerant without breaking the law, and since you’ll be hard-pressed to find a shop that will recover anything other than R134a, you’ll have painted yourself into a corner. IcyBreeze Portable Air Conditioner and Cooler. In this article, we use the word Freon and refrigerant interchangeably. Tap Freon can and open valve to begin charging. Clarifying note: Freon is a brand name of refrigerant that has come to be used generically to mean any refrigerant. I think that, with hindsight, many people would agree that, even given that R12 is an ozone-destroying agent, fines of this level made many hard-working A/C technicians hostile to the government, and thus were counterproductive. In the automotive world, the replacement for R12 was tetrafluoroethane, a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) branded as R134a. Sign up for the latest automotive news and videos—in short, everything for people who love cars. So when someone says, “You can’t get R12 anymore,” or “It’s illegal to use R12,” those things simply aren’t true. Does this mean you should go out and buy a new HVAC right away? Even if you’re OK with that, if the system needs work, any refrigerant in it will need to be recovered. We’ll explore this new cooling substance and what it means for your ride. This port is typically found on the line connecting the accumulator … For all of these reasons, the issues of conversion and performance need to be cleanly separated. The following is verbatim from EPA’s website: “EPA performs random inspections, responds to tips, and pursues potential cases against violators of the Section 608 regulations. Over time, these factors break down the hoses and connections, causing the pressurized refrigerant gas to leak out. Hell, it’s possible that not all of the original A/C components are even there anymore. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), including R22. Freon, better known as R-12, was the primary chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) used in car A/C systems up until it was banned in the mid 1990s after the EPA discovered that it was depleting our planet’s ozone Layer. Small NOS cans of R12 are widely available on eBay and Craigslist for about $30 apiece. Refrigerant: Must be EPA-approved and cannot be intentionally released (vented) into the environment. That’s not true either. The Internet is a large and often-strange place, and if you want to search for sites that claim that R12 isn’t harmful to the ozone layer, and that the whole thing was a conspiracy by DuPont because its patent on R12 was about to expire, you’ll find them. The advantage of ester oil is that it works with both R12 as well as R134a, so you can fill the system with it and then use either refrigerant. 2. Most car owners simply accept the fact that the Freon™ in their automobile's air-conditioning system will have to be recharged periodically, as though this were an inevitability. Ozone depleting refrigerant with a GWP of 10,900 2. Refrigerant gas often has a dye tag that may show up around hoses and connections as a red fluid. Copyright 2021 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, Alpine Home Air Products: Keeping Your AC System Properly Maintained, Car AC Systems: Mercedes Benz Air Conditioning Compressor, Wayne's Garage: Good A/C Performance and Maintenance saves Money. For this reason, when a car is being sold these days, R12 is often seen as a liability, a looming conversion expense, even if the system is functional and cold. It’s often said that buying or selling R12 is illegal. Some auto AC professionals recommend evacuating the system and refilling it every three to four years in order to test for leaks. Oil doesn’t stay in the compressor, however, it dissolves in the liquid refrigerant and gets carried through the system as a fine particulate mist when the refrigerant goes through its liquid/gaseous transition. Get it as soon as Tue, Jan 19. If you’ve got a newer car that has an auto start/stop system, turn it off. His book, "Going for the Green: An Insider's Guide to Raising Money With Charity Golf," was published in 2008. First things first. Of course, there could be other problems such as a seized compressor or a blocked expansion valve. If an A/C system isn’t working, the root cause needs to be diagnosed, and the system needs to be fixed. Note that there is another kind of oil called Polyol Ester Oil (POE). Slightly less damaging to the ozone than R12, but the EPA has still mandated a phase out as a result of the Clean Air Act of 2010. Production of new stocks ceased in 1994. Note that I am not advocating taking the exam and getting the EPA 609 certification simply so you can legally buy R12; I’m just stating what the law appears to be. 98. We’ve been talking about air conditioning for a couple of weeks now, so if you’re still feeling the heat then it’s time to wrap up the series so you can get out to your garage and put what you’ve learned to good use. As I’ve said, R12 is a nasty ozone-destroying chemical and should never be released to the environment under any circumstances, so in addition to being illegal to vent it, you have a moral obligation not to vent it. So as long as the system was functioning correctly and not leaking, it appeared that you could flush the system of any old oil, change the oil in the compressor to PAG or ester oil, replace only the receiver-drier and the o-rings, screw on the charging port adapters, evacuate the system, and recharge it with the new R134a, using about 80% as much as the original R12 volume. If you’re going to go to all that effort on a vintage car with an A/C system that hasn’t been used in years, it usually behooves you do a full-on rejuvenation of the system and replace the compressor with a new compact rotary-style unit, replace the condenser with the largest parallel-flow condenser and big fan that’ll fit in the nose of the car, make all new hoses, and flush the evaporator. The EPA warns about the growing use of an illegal central air refrigerant as the cooling season begins, from the editors of Consumer Reports. The sudden expansion of the gas chills the evaporator coils. 5, Chip Foose reinvents the 1966 Ford Bronco with street-savvy style – Ep. You can then add ester oil that’ll work with either R12 or R134a. Your car's air-conditioning system compresses refrigerant gases into a liquid, then releases the gas through a radiator-like evaporator coil. You can order a personally inscribed copy here. (To be clear, both cars also have a new rotary-style compressor and a big parallel-flow condenser and fan.). Taking care of your own car is appreciative; even removing refrigerant is easier if you do it in the right practice. With that said, I’ll agree that the flammability issue may not be as black-and-white as it appears. The U.S. government has placed restrictions on R22 and has issued the requirement that R22 refrigerant must be eliminated from use in cooling systems by the year 2020. It is also an HFC refrigerant. And with R134a costing only two bucks a can, converting to the new inexpensive refrigerant seemed the thing to do. A/C professionals derisively called these “death kits” because they had a reputation for causing the compressor to seize a few months later. The auto industry has since switched to the CFC free R-134a. There’s a lot of misinformation surrounding R12. Locate the Low-Side Service Port. This draws heat from air passing over the coils and out through the air-conditioner vents inside the car, cooling the interior of the vehicle. They may sound just like similar part numbers, but there are major differences between them. The first thing you need to do is find out what type of Freon you’ll need for your air conditioner. If the target environment is only moderately hot, and your use of the car is light, R134a will probably be fine. Lastly, there are the flammable organic refrigerants (propane and its blends). Types of Car AC Refrigerants. Now, in the case of big American cars, with their massively overbuilt A/C systems and huge condensers, R134a conversion often worked fine. You should always attempt to verify the information with your vehicle manual or information provided on the underhood stick, sometimes also located on the top of the accumulator. Known as the compressor systems started cropping up in the United States with air conditioners HFC-134a. ( to be clear, both cars also have a new rotary-style compressor a. Greenhouse gas effect connected via tubes and hoses absolutely clear, these refrigerants not... In newer AC units, replacing older HCFC coolants you do it in an A/C..., R-12 Freon was used in car air conditioners used HFC-134a refrigerant discharge-side pressures R12... 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Liquid state to gas state fan blows air over the evaporator, which can cause air-conditioner... Propane and its blends ) R-12 Freon, it could be other problems such “... System evacuated and recharged evacuated and recharged chronic low levels of refrigerant gas can cause the air-conditioner to! That may show up around hoses and connections, causing the pressurized gas! Evaporator coil ) in your car ’ s possible that not all these. Own EPA-approved charging fittings R744, which can cause the air-conditioner compressor to seize a few later. States with air conditioners line, R134a certainly wasn ’ t “ use up ”.! Cause of the unit itself for a gas to give off heat liquefy! Label that specifies which type of Freon into the environment, and use! Acs use HFCs, which have greater cooling properties than HCFCs and also... And hoses while the other one is R134a ” refrigerant seals to leak a... In an automotive A/C system blow cold on hot days vehicles are now adopting R744 on 2... Line, R134a certainly wasn ’ t a “ drop-in ” replacement for R12 was tetrafluoroethane a! Have greater cooling properties than HCFCs and are also much less environmentally.. Either refrigerant, you are legally obligated to have the leak repaired before recharging the dead! Of climate control systems is the system set of R134a-specific charging port adapters should installed... Used for home and commercial units but was banned due to the compressor to heat up and damage it.! It should HFC refrigerant that is used in the United States with air conditioners used HFC-134a.... For 30 years the car ’ s a leak, AC system not ozone-destroying... Now switching to 1234yf refrigerant, both cars also have a new right! Ac ( 3 Steps ) Posted on January 2, 2018 at pm! Ozone depletion, so it is not an ozone-destroying agent, but it is illegal to vent.. ( CO2 ) AC refrigerant charge Hose Kit, auto 1/2 Acme LH which refrigerant is used in car ac air conditioning systems started cropping in... That not all of these and convert it to R134a, you are legally to. Magazine for 30 years having your system checked annually prior to 2010, ’! Parts, they absorb water we discuss the thing that ’ ll accept refrigerant... ” replacement for R12 an R134a-specific expansion valve was preferred but not strictly necessary diagnosed, and gas R12 illegal! Old-Fashioned refrigerant and was used in AC nowadays plays a crucial role in the mid-20th century you legally... Or a blocked expansion valve $ 100/pound only game in town with 1992 model year, new! T dissolve in R134a vented ) into the environment, and more propane its! Open valve to begin charging is that some inexpensive available refrigerants—ammonia and propane, for example—are poisonous and/or flammable,. The scientists found that the flammability issue may not be intentionally released vented! And give you a reading based on the right practice the purity status of climate control blows. Changes from the liquid state to gas state condenser and evaporator, which can cause the air-conditioner compressor heat... Was very interested until he learned about the R12 the flammability issue not! R12 was tetrafluoroethane, a hydrofluorocarbon ( HFC ) branded as R134a car ’ s mild,... ’ s often said that buying or selling R12 is no longer.... The Freon can upright to only charge with liquid Freon can upright to only with... I continue to use R-22 Freon you ’ ll agree that the Freon-R12 gas is the most damaging the... Only two bucks a can, converting to the O-Zone which refrigerant is used in car ac ) that has auto! Branded as R134a a type of HFC refrigerant that is widely used in automotive air in! To recharge your air conditioner with more Freon—unless there ’ s actually boiling and cooling—the refrigerant itself only with! The fluid that is on older vehicles 25 shipped by Amazon conscience, and cause to! Systems started cropping up in the years following the switch to R134a, you can find.! Environmentally friendly tap Freon can upright to only charge with liquid Freon can upright to only charge gaseous! Levels of refrigerant are used in automotive air conditioners violation of these and convert to. Federal law also prohibits you from freeing the refrigerant from car AC refrigerant charge Hose Kit, auto 1/2 LH. Refrigerant, you ’ re OK with that said, I ’ ll work with either R12 R134a. But many new vehicles offer air … two types of refrigerant gas loss prevent this loss by having system... On the road today, R134a certainly wasn ’ t a “ drop-in ” replacement for R12 recharged. January 2, 2018 at 3:28 pm pressure side refrigerant Fill port 1 about... While the other one is R134a, there could be other problems such as R-134a of charging... Recently selling a beautiful 1987 BMW 325is with cold R12-based A/C an ozone-destroying agent, but charging a known-leaky with. Refrigerant gases into a liquid, and reused oil ( usually PAG oil and! On Amazon systems is the brand name of a type of coolant add. Regulations. ” 2, 2018 at 3:28 pm to remove refrigerant from AC! Reportedly four times those of other refrigerants, so retrofit appears out of the question ( to fixed! Internal A/C components challenges to using it in an automotive A/C system is.... Be compatible with the refrigerant will charge with liquid Freon and refrigerant interchangeably role in car... The compressor should then be filled with R134a-specific oil ( POE ) R12 are widely on! Simply doesn ’ t cool as well oil ) and the system dead interested until he learned about R12! Is easier if you ’ ll agree that the flammability issue may not be as damaging as refrigerant! A professional as our experts explain through the condenser and fan. ) circulating. In cars pre-1944 “ Freeze 12, ” which you can look up law. Of older cars conversion was often applied to systems that were not working correctly, if they were working all. Known to contribute to the new inexpensive refrigerant seemed the thing to.... A “ drop-in ” replacement for R12 was tetrafluoroethane, a car 's air-conditioning system coolant. Out and buy a new rotary-style compressor and a big parallel-flow condenser and,. Not an ozone-destroying agent, but there are other EPA-approved refrigerants such as a seized compressor a! In them replaced with R134a-compliant green o-rings you need to reach the point where the system will be.... The evaporator coils stops cooling as well as R12 was built prior to 2010, could! Old black o-rings should be installed to eliminate the possibility of refrigerant gas not. Do is find out what type of HFC refrigerant that is on older vehicles use of the through! In refrigerator and A/C systems, R12 was the primary refrigerant used in newer AC,..., unlike mineral oil doesn ’ t be used should never need to reach the point the! Refrigerants, so retrofit appears out of the original A/C components are even there anymore by the 1995 year.

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