Date: Wed, 8 May 2013 23:29:24 -0500
Reply-To: Tom Hargrave <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Tom Hargrave <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
Subject: Re: AC 134a refrigerant leak down
In-Reply-To: <518B1B76.9080808@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
R134a only has 80% of the thermal mass of R12 which means that R134a will
only cool 80% as effectively as R12. Newer designs have compensated by
making the evaporator 20% larger.
Freeze 12 & other mixed gases come with their own troubles. In most if not
all cases the mix ratio has to stay exact or the stuff stops cooling. This
means that if you have a small leak somewhere the lighter gas leaks out
first & the system stops cooling. Then you have to dump the system, pull a
vacuum and start over because you can't just top the system off.
I am AC certified and I've run all of them. One of my cars - my 1953
Mercedes 190Dc - is still R12 and if it ever gets low I'll buy R12 off
Fleabay before I convert. Same goes for any other old car I pick up that
still has R12 in the A/C system.
If you want to run something comparable to R12 then you should look at
Autofrost R406A. It's performance is comparable to R12. You'll need a
license to order. If you can't buy it then your local A/C tech can.
http://autofrost.com/auto.html.html
And you can still buy R12 - but 30# will set you back $1300. The last 30#
can I bought cost me $770, but that was a long time ago.
http://www.refrigerantsales.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_4
Thanks, Tom Hargrave
www.stir-plate.com
www.towercooler.com
www.kegkits.com
www.grow-sun.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of
JRodgers
Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2013 10:44 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: AC 134a refrigerant leak down
R134a is in fact - an upgrade only in the since that it is the latest and
most common stuff out there - therefore relatively easy to get and use. But
in fact - R12 actually performed better - but there are a few refrigerants
out there that very closely match the R12. Freeze12 is one of them. But it's
a pita to have to hunt it down, when 134a is all over the place.
John
On 5/8/2013 4:14 PM, Rob wrote:
> If you can't get R-12 is it?
>
> Rob
> vwrobb@gmail.com
>
> (Well ok, you can go to ebay & bid on cans of R-12, but that's now
> kind of like a up-grade!)
> http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1311.R1.TR5.TRC0
> &_nkw=r-12+refrigerant&_sacat=0&_from=R40
>
>
>
>
> At 5/8/2013 03:09 PM, JRodgers wrote:
>> Well, uh, yeah - just a figure of speech.
>>
>> John
>>
>> On 5/8/2013 11:41 AM, Jeff wrote:
>>> Changing from R-12 to 134 is definitely not an "upgrade"...;-)
>>>
>>> Perhaps an "update"?
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>> Jeff
>
> .
>
-----
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