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 R 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. A gentleman in Canada was very interested until he learned about the R He passed. The question instead is: Why is the system dead?
Of course, there could be other problems such as a seized compressor or a blocked expansion valve. The issue is that you need to reach the point where the system is functional and leak-free. You can look up the law yourself at www. Nevertheless, repeat after me: It is illegal to vent refrigerant. Ra is not an ozone-destroying agent, but it is a greenhouse gas, and is illegal to vent as well. R12 and Ra are not the only game in town. Each has its own cult following and requires its own EPA-approved charging fittings.
There is R, which is literally carbon dioxide CO2. However, the operating pressures are reportedly four times those of other refrigerants, so retrofit appears out of the question. You can find many videos and web forum posts where people retrofit Ra 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.
Lastly, there are the flammable organic refrigerants propane and its blends. 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.
You can order a personally inscribed copy here. Maintenance and Tech. A Story About. Hagerty covers all kinds of collector cars, trucks and modified vehicles. Get an insurance quote. More on this topic. R12 is the most used refrigerant in HVAC systems because of its versatility across different systems. Unfortunately, R12 has also been found to cause accelerated Ozone layer depletion. Therefore, countries came together at the Montreal conference in and signed something called the Montreal Protocol, which called for the complete phase out of Ozone depleting materials.
This includes R There are three replacement refrigerant options for R12 systems: Ra, Ra, Rb. Ra is regarded, by manufacturers and adherents to the Montreal Protocols alike, as the best replacement refrigerant. Ra maintains much of the versatility as R12, but lacks Ozone depleting compounds and emits very little greenhouse gases.
Ra and Rb are great options for refrigerant systems such as walk-in coolers and beverage stands. To retrofit your current R12 system with either of these refrigerants requires a simple process with a professional touch.
First, the old refrigerant must be removed and disposed of according to strict guidelines set by the EPA. Several fatal accidents occurred in the s because of methyl chloride leakage from refrigerators. People started leaving their refrigerators in their backyards. A collaborative effort began between three American corporations, Frigidaire, General Motors and DuPont to search for a less dangerous method of refrigeration.
In , Thomas Midgley, Jr. Freon represents several different chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, which are used in commerce and industry. The CFCs are a group of aliphatic organic compounds containing the elements carbon and fluorine, and, in many cases, other halogens especially chlorine and hydrogen.
Freons are colorless, odorless, nonflammable, noncorrosive gasses or liquids. Charles Franklin Kettering invented the first electric automobile ignition system. He was also the vice-president of the General Motors Research Corporation from to General Motors' scientist, Thomas Midgley invented leaded ethyl gasoline. Thomas Midgley was chosen by Kettering to head the research into the new refrigerants.
In , Midgley and Kettering invented a "miracle compound" called Freon. By , Frigidaire and its competitors had sold 8 million new refrigerators in the United States using Freon made by the Kinetic Chemical Company. In , the Carrier Engineering Corporation used Freon in the world's first self-contained home air conditioning unit, called an " Atmospheric Cabinet. Because Freon is non-toxic, it eliminated the danger posed by refrigerator leaks.
In just a few years, compressor refrigerators using Freon would become the standard for almost all home kitchens. In , Thomas Midgley held a demonstration of the physical properties of Freon for the American Chemical Society by inhaling a lung-full of the new wonder gas and breathing it out onto a candle flame, which was extinguished, thus showing the gas's non-toxicity and non-flammable properties.
Only decades later did people realize that such chlorofluorocarbons endangered the ozone layer of the entire planet.
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