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Showing posts with the label car refrigerant

R-12 to R-134A Refrigerant Retrofit

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R-12 to R-134A Refrigerant Retrofit If you drive an older vehicle (pre-1994), the air conditioning system contains R-12 refrigerant (Freon). As long as the A/C system has no leaks and it cooling normally, there is no need to convert from R-12 to the new "ozone safe" R-134a refrigerant. But if your A/C system has lost it's charge because of a leak, collision damage, or the need to open it to replace a compressor, hose or other component, you may have to convert from R-12 to R-134a when you recharge the system Why? Because R-12 is no longer produced in the U.S. Supplies of recycled R-12 still exist, and some R-12 is still brought in from offshore suppliers. But it is hard to find and expensive. That's why many people simply recharge their older R-12 air conditioning system with R-134a after repairs have been made. R-134a Retrofit Conversion Costs Does it make economic sense to retrofit an older vehicle to R-134a if the A/C system has lost its refrigerant ...

New Automotive Refrigerants

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New Automotive Refrigerants For Your Vehicle What the future holds for automotive refrigerants is uncertain, but changes are happening and more changes are coming. R-134a refrigerant contineus to be used in many late model vehicles, but many new cars are now being equipped with A/C systems that use R-1234yf refrigerant. Other refrigerants may also be coming as R-134 is gradually phased out in the years ahead. The Europeans want to phase out R-134a in all new vehicles by 2017. The European rules require any new refrigerants must have a global warming potential of less than 150. The U.S. EPA also wants car makers to switch to a different refrigerant to lower the overall carbon emissions of the vehicle fleet. Carbon credits will be given to auto makers who make the switch to a refrigerant that has a lower Global Warming Potential (GWP). Though R-134a poses no danger to the ozone layer if it escapes into the atmosphere, it is a "greenhouse gas" with a fairly high ...

Flammable Refrigerants

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Flammable Refrigerants To Be Taken Care Of  Flammable refrigerants are illegal to use in an automotive air conditioning system. There are some exceptions, such as the new  R1234yf refrigerant , which is mildly flammable but only under certain conditions. Flammable refrigerants may also be used in the trailer refrigeration units on heavy duty trucks. But other than these, no flammable refrigerant should ever be used in a car or light truck A/C system. Flammable Refrigerant Fire Hazards Propane, butane and a number of other hydrocarbon mixtures and blends actually work quite well as refrigerants, with cooling characteristics similar to R-12, R-22 and R-134a. But if the evaporator inside the passenger compartment develops a leak, the flammable vapor may create a potential for a fire or explosion. Do you really want to risk being cremated while driving your vehicle? Another thought to keep in mind is what happens if your vehicle is involved in an accident. The A/C co...