Thread: what to use for cheap A/C

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Originally posted by DennyW
Robot, that is the standard, to use the 134a retrofit kit. Comes with the oil, charge line, and freon can. I'm not sure about this year. Last year, I installed a dash unit in a friends 66 Mustang, and I believe I was asked for my MACS Card. Varifying I was approved to do AC. You might want to check that out in what ever your state, to be sure.

In NY you can pick the R 134A retrofit kits up at any auto place, including Wal Mart auto dept, for like 30 bucks, they don't question a thing. My dad used 1 on his '83 Mercedes and it worked for a year, it now needs recharged but, they sell recharge cans for like 10 bucks for 2 or somthing.

Originally posted by DennyW
Yes, you have to be careful even with the so-called safe stuff. I remember some time back, a mix was going around with the highly flameables. Remember r-12 boils at like -21 degrees, and if exposed to a flame, it's a poison.

Yup. I remember in A/C class the instructor said if you remember nothing else, remember this. If R-12 is burned it becomes a deadly gas. And that the gas was heavy so if you are in a grease pit the gas will find the low spot and that's the end of you.

See, I did what he said, i remembered to stay out of the grease pit. HEHE

Oh yedah, freons can be some nasty things. r134 not so bad though and I don't think anybody is regulating it the same as r12 and some those derivitaves. Sorry my spelling sucks tonite. You can buy 134 over the counter most places without any certifications. R12 and the others may be different.

One more thing, sorry if anyone else has mentioned it, freons do not go bad or wear out. Your AC needing a "recharge" just means you've got a leak, which in turn is one of the reasons the EPA wants to do away with R12. Many folks think it's just wearing out when in fact it's leaking out.

i have no doubt that there are products superior to 134a but i so far have have pretty good luck using it. i like using an industry standard just because of availablilty of things, but thats just me.
Hmmmm, maybe i should use propane, i heard that does work pretty good

When heated sufficiently freon converts to acid and Phosgene gas which was a *wonderful* poison gas used in WWI. The acid lays total waste to the whole system.

The good news? This usually only happens in electrically powered systems.

BTW: 134a is scheduled to be phased out in the future as it also harms the environment, just not as bad as R12.

Originally posted by NTFDAY
This looks like the way to go,but I am curious as to why it's not being promoted more aggressiveably. I'm going to do some research on this.

Probally because shops would be required to have a 3rd recovery machine,
currently I have 2, (R-12 & R134-A)
If I pull a vehicle in the shop for A/C work
it's hooked to the refrigerant identifier first, anything other than R-12 or R134-a in the system out the door it goes, The cost of contaminating my equipment far outways the loss of an A/C repair....

Oh for cryin out loud the numbskulls require a different machine for each refrigerant?!?!?!!? What is it, a vacuum pump, and a cylinder?

Originally posted by kcress
Oh for cryin out loud the numbskulls require a different machine for each refrigerant?!?!?!!? What is it, a vacuum pump, and a cylinder?

Yup,they do, and they ain't cheap,a little more than a tank & pump, also tanks hafta be tested and certified every 3 years ?, and if ya did have a 3rd machine for other refrigerants then ya got the disposal problem when the tank gets full, I was quoted $600, so no off the wall refrigerants here......Besides as long as the cooling system & condensor are in good enough shape to keep the high side preasure down it's been my experiance that the 134 works better than the R12 anyway.

Wow.

Thanks for the info HWORRELL.