The effect that R134a has on global warming makes this gas an unattractive product to many technicians. There are other refrigerants: some of which may work, some of which dont work, some of which will destroy your a/c system and some of which are dangerous. Here are a few of the more common questions. If your car was produced after 1994, it likely has R134a used as the refrigerant. This is because the pressure temperature relationship of R-12 and R-134a is different. The common problem when converting from R12 to R134a is lack of knowledge or equipment. R12, on the other hand, is called chlorofluorocarbon (CFC). If an A/C system isnt working, the root cause needs to be diagnosed, and the system needs to be fixed. R22, or to give it its proper chemical name, chlorodifluoromethane (CHCIF), is a colorless, odorless, non-toxic, non-flammable alternative to older refrigerants. R134a and R12 are among the most popular types of refrigerants. The compressors used by refrigeration plants to compress gas require oil to help lubricate its moving parts. $34.99. https://www.wiseautotools.com/mountain-quick-connect-r12-ac-gauge-conversion-to-134a/ A/C gauge conversion kits from R12 to R134A. Best for varieties of operating conditions: Its boiling point is -21.6 Celsius. The most common influences which effect the capability of R134a to perform well are the condenser, in some cases the the superheat setting of the expansion valve or the amount of R134a. Legally. Using the specs for the current system, multiply the R12 charge by 0.9 or 90% to determine the refrigerant capacity. 2001-2023 Griffiths Technical Inc. All Rights Reserved. I was recently selling a beautiful 1987 BMW 325is with cold R12-based A/C. As this chemical has carbon, hydrogen, and fluorine but no chlorine, its not dangerous to the ozone layer. By noting the ambient temperature you can look up what the preferred high side pressure should be. In the years following the switch to R134a, there was confusion over what was required to maintain the A/C of older cars. Why racetracks are giving hybrids and EVs the cold shoulder, Rearview cameras have been around longer than you think, At $720,000, this Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina is looking for its top, For roadster lovers, Mazdas Miata is (still) the answer, National Council of Corvette Clubs lifts competition ban on E-Ray, How fast is the Corvette E-Ray? Sign up for the latest automotive news and videosin short, everything for people who love cars. This chemical has carbon, hydrogen, and fluorine. This is used in automotive air conditioning in older vehicles and domestic and commercial air conditioning and refrigeration. Whether R134a performs as well as R12 in any given a/c system depends upon system components and the . Santech R12 to R134a Coupler . The service ports in both systems are quick-connect, but they are taller in the yf systems to avoid cross-contamination. R134A does not deplete the ozone layer of the earth as it is a CFC refrigerant. Therefore, the R12 refrigerant is illegal, and emitting it is illegal. However, some old air conditioning units still use them. 5 foreign cars that were copied from American style. However, there wereand aresome challenges to using it in an automotive A/C system designed for R12. Before R12 was replaced with R134a in 1995, it was mostly used in trucks and cars. So, instead of using R12, other better options include R401b, R134a, R401a, etc. In addition, there was the lubricant issue. Most countries frown on the use of these gasses due to their environmental impact. Hope this helps Reply 10-10-2020, 01:12 PM #4 Chris Stritchko If the oil didnt dissolve into the refrigerant, it would reduce the refrigerants ability to transfer heat. These applications will - due to browser restrictions - send data between your browser and our server. Below are the major differences between R134a and R12: The chemical composition of R12 and R134a differ. Temperature and pressure chart for refrigerants R22, R410A, R12, R134A, R401A, R409A, R502, R404A, R507A, R408A and R402A. No, its not possible to mix these two refrigerants. R134a and R12 are both refrigerants used in vehicle air conditioning systems. These are the major reasons that this product is now banned in many countries and replaced by other refrigerants that dont have such a serious environmental impact. Nevertheless, if your application is configured only for R12, then you can use it or consider replacing the applications engine. Lets take you through the advantages, disadvantages, and differences of these two refrigerants a detailed comparison including R12 vs R134a performance. R12 was used mainly in domestic and commercial refrigeration, while R134a was used mainly by the automotive industry. The problem was that there was not agreement on exactly what was required for the conversion. Part # LX-14. However, theyre still used in older plants, systems, and the automotive industry. Merely an emerging auto hacker. When theyre in a liquid state, theyll remove heat from air passing over the pipes theyre in and slowly evaporate to form a gas. The major difference between these two refrigerants is their chemical composition. 1. Gauges are used to read the pressure of various liquids and gases in a cooling system, as well as vacuum pressure in the process of testing or charging the device. These efforts to balance the system can not be realized if there are problems within the a/c system, such as: poor performing compressor, dirty condenser or poor air flow through the condenser, malfunctioning expansion valve, water or air in the system, improperly operating fresh air or heat input in the climate-air mixing system. The global warming potential of R134a is 1430. Miscibility with oil: R12 can be mixed with the compressor oil no matter the operating condition. Because of R1234yfs mild flammability, BMW and Mercedes are now adopting R744. Its chemical name is dichlorodifluoromethane, and its chemical formula is CCl2F2. Unfortunately, converting existing air conditioners that use R22 to use new refrigerants isnt easy. Meanwhile, the R-134a gas has a COP of 4.62, which is lower than the other two gases. Statisicaly your friend was lucky. Before landing on the debate of R134 vs R12 you should know that both R134a and R12 are AC refrigerants types used in refrigeration and air conditioning systems. Hence, the effect of R12 on global warming is up to 10,000 times higher than carbon dioxide. The maximum value is 1. It has a lower global warming potential than R134a. If your a/c system is empty/low on refrigerant, if your system has a leak or if you need to open the system, then now is the time to decide which refrigerant you want to use. If youre still uncertain, go to a trained technician wholl tell you what refrigeration you have. You do not need to replace every o-ring in the system, but if you happen to open a connection that has an o-ring you should replace the old o-ring with one that is compatible with R134a and lubricate the o-ring with ac oil. Only licensed air conditioning companies and technicians may purchase this refrigerant. These two refrigerants are the older types and are not used in newer refrigeration and air conditioning systems. Price is reasonable Consistent and accurate R12 is extremely stable and wont deteriorate operating under the most extreme conditions. This means that its classified as a greenhouse gas and will add to the current problems of heat not escaping the earths atmosphere. The next piece of equipment to track down leaks is a leak sniffer. R12 will completely dissolve in mineral oil, but R134a wont. Technicians must capture and recycle R134a safely, and the gas must be disposed of by following the EPA guidelines. 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. R134a has an ozone depletion potential of 0, implying that it has a slight effect on the ozone layer. As the manufacture of this product is now banned, the costs associated with it will inevitably rise. Just leave it alone for now. The safe high side pressures are determined with a PT (pressures and temperatures) chart. 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.Sha. You confirmed my decisions in one elegant post (as opposed to the 60-odd hours of blog post readings and YouTube videos). In Stock. And with R134a costing only two bucks a can, converting to the new inexpensive refrigerant seemed the thing to do. Well worth the money if your A/C system is still in good shape. 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. Its improbable that any new installation will be built that uses this refrigerant as its use is deemed highly undesirable in many countries and international environmental treaties discourage its use. Reattach the hose lines using new R134a compatible o-rings, lightly lubricate with compressor oil. To discover the capacity for refrigerant, you want to use the specs for the current system and multiply the R12 charge by 0.9 or 90%. Start the car again and add R12A to bring the low side pressure to about 32 psi. The issue is that you need to reach the point where the system is functional and leak-free. R134A has an ODP of zero, meaning that it has a negligible effect on the ozone layer. The global warming potential measures the amount of heat trapped by any gas compared to the amount of heat trapped by the same amount of carbon dioxide. Then subtract 0.25 pounds. Its a safe product for use in a variety of domestic and commercial environments. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Piston Slap: Booting a Torino in a snap without snaps? Its been used in the refrigeration industry for a long time, so theres a large body of knowledge established around the product. There are kits that convert R12 to R134a. Kuehl is a registered trademark of Griffiths Technical Inc. Griffiths Technical Inc is not associated with Porsche Cars North America. 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. Another way to check is to look at the air conditioning connectors. To take one of these and convert it to R134a was usually a recipe for disappointment. R134a is a newer type of refrigerant that has some significant advantages. 2021 Complete Guide, Find more info about me and HVAC Training 101, Screw, roll, rotary, reciprocating, and centrifugal compressors for refrigeration and air conditioning, Used in automotive air conditioning since 1994, and has been retrofitted to many older models as a replacement to R12, Used to remove humidity from compressed air in gas dusters. R12 and R134a are older types of refrigerants that are considered to be dangerous to the environment today. There are significant differences between R12, R134a, and R513A, which must be considered when handling, processing, applying, or retrofitting with these refrigerants. You might find that the system doesn't get as cool even after properly charging it. Unfortunately, this product still contains chlorine. R134a is the most widely accepted alternative automotive refrigerant used to replace R12. The problem with using an approved alternative refrigerants other than R134a is that when the system is serviced it requires certain types of fittings, labels and dedicated equipment. Because R134a is an HFC, not a CFC (stay with me for a minute), it does not have the ozone-destroying properties of R12. And, unfortunately a small high side pressure gauge on a short hose. So the oil must be compatible with the refrigerant. R-12 isn't just unfriendly to the ozone layer, it has a GWP value of 10,900! Generally this works well for the whole system. Certainly no one selling cans of R12 on Craigslist is asking for your EPA 609 card. Usually, mechanics charge around $200 for conversion. On the other hand, R12 has a global warming potential of 10,910. 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. R134a reacts with water to form hydrofluoric acid which damages the internal A/C components. We chose to use 5-6 ounces of oil to be on the safe side: 3-4 ounces for the compressor, 1 oz of oil for the drier and another ounce of oil for system losses. We have the best A/C Manifold Gauge Set and Components for the right price. Their differences come mainly in their chemical make-up and environmental impact. Hence, the effect of R12 on global warming is up to 10,000 times higher than carbon dioxide. If your cars system has a sufficient condenser design and air flow to expel the greater amount of heat extracted by R134a, then by all means you should convert over when the time comes. R12 contains a chemical called chlorine that destroys the ozone layer, thereby causing potential environmental risk. As this gas has such an effect on the environment, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has strict guidelines for its use. The global warming potential of R134a is 1430. R134a belongs to the family of HFCs or hydrofluorocarbons. R12 is highly destructive to the earths ozone layer. Oil doesnt 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. Some recovery machines are equipped for both R134a and R1234yf. 21, 1439 AH. All in all, I'm very happy with the results and see no reason why they won't last. Also, R134a cylinders are light-blue in color. In most cases, the systems used have varied components, designs, and service ports. Nevertheless, repeat after me: It is illegal to vent refrigerant. Because A/C compressors have moving parts, they require oil. Very few DIY-ers have recovery equipment (I dont), so you need to take the car to a shop that does, and fewer and fewer shops keep and maintain R12-recovery equipment. The only time this product will be unsafe for humans is if its exposed to flame, when it breaks down into toxic substances or if its discharged into the air. The higher the ambient temperature the higher the high side pressure. However, you will need different recovery machines and other equipment to handle R1234yf.
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