You do not have to split up the 5-6 oz of oil and add it to each component, just simply put it all in the compressor as it will move throughout the whole system once the system is operational. It became known as R12 or Freon. So, along with R134a came a new oil: Polyalkylene Glycolor PAG oil. Many commercial enterprises that run large chillers or transport companies running reefer trailers or containers have used R12 as its a highly efficient refrigerant that provides excellent cooling. One cant discount its drawbacks, but theres a great deal of knowledge and information available on safely using the product. We have the best A/C Manifold Gauge Set and Components for the right price. Ed. As these refrigerants are slowly phased out, there are still many questions that people have about them. If an A/C system isnt working, the root cause needs to be diagnosed, and the system needs to be fixed. Just leave it alone for now. R12s GWP is 10,910. Required fields are marked *. R134a isnt as efficient in cooling as R12. He started writing automotive articles to share his garage experience with car enthusiasts and armature mechanics. R12 is a powerful ozone depleted, while R134a and R1234yf are not. Then subtract 0.25 pounds. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The original expansion valves work very well with R134a. What Happens If You Put R134a in an R12 System? - techtown R134a A/C retrofit and low pressure cycling switch adjustment However, leaks do occur. R134a refrigerant is lighter than R12. And, unfortunately a small high side pressure gauge on a short hose. R134a is safe to use as its not toxic, flammable, or explosive. R12 is considered to be superior in cooling to R134a. Reusing Refrigerant: Refrigerant must be properly recycled or reclaimed before it can be reused, even if it is being returned to the vehicle from which it was removed. 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. When used in refrigerator and A/C systems, R12 cooled incredibly well. Santech R12 to R134a Coupler Conversion Kit. However, there wereand aresome challenges to using it in an automotive A/C system designed for R12. rate between the temperature range of -40 C and -10 C is R134a liquid's, while the lowest is the R1270's. Having a low mass flow rate with in the system is a parameter that reduces the cost of operating. The best oil that runs well with R134a is PAG oil or Polyalkylene Glycol. Besides, its technology has been tested and trusted. When the temperature is reduced to-7C or below, the plants ability to cool the airdrops significantly. r134a vs r12 manifold gauges.. - Slant Six Forum If you find any of these conditions you will want to liquid flush (with dedicated AC flush solution) all the lines, condensers, evaporator (remove the expansion valve) before you proceed further. 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. Rxmechanic.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The non-flammables can have R22 type gas which is not compatible with most rubber hoses or they have gases that contribute to global warming. R134a has a GWP of 1430. 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. As the manufacture of this product is now banned, the costs associated with it will inevitably rise. You do not want to exceed the systems high side recommendations. R12 is extremely stable and wont deteriorate operating under the most extreme conditions. There are other EPA-approved refrigerants such as Hot Shot and Freeze 12, which you can find here. Whether R134a performs as well as R12 in any given a/c system depends upon system components and the amount of R134a used. For example, while R12 itself is similar to the halon used in fire extinguishers, when R12 is mixed with mineral oilthe most commonly-used lubricant oil in R12 systemsand aerosolized and burned, it creates phosgene gas, which was used as a chemical agent in WWI. Awareness of Changing Refrigerant Types - I-CAR R134a systems operate at higher discharge-side pressures than R12, which can cause compressor seals to leak. R134a isnt toxic, corrosive, explosive, or flammable, making it a good choice for air conditioning, but its cooling properties arent as good as R12. Most vehicles manufactured before 1993 have the R12 A/C system. The molecule size of R134a is smaller than that of R12, so there was concern that R134a could leak out through the hoses and flare fittings that R12 systems used. The main difference between R12, R134a, and R1234yf is their effect on the environment. Though you can purchase 12 or 16 ounce cans of R134a from local retailers it is very difficult to measure out the correct amount into your system. 5 foreign cars that were copied from American style. 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. This allows the refrigerant in the condenser to be void of oil particles. Many vehicles that contain this type of refrigerant will continue using it. Generally you follow the refrigerant flow moving from connection to connection, component to component, and you sniff the a/c vents to check for evaporator leaks as well. With R12 you use to check to see if the site glass was full, if it had bubbles it meant you had a low charge. On the other hand, R12 has a global warming potential of 10,910. R12 vs R134a Refrigerant: What is the Difference? - 2022 Complete Guide Temperature and pressure chart for refrigerants R22, R410A, R12, R134A, R401A, R409A, R502, R404A, R507A, R408A and R402A. Given two identical vehicles, each with the same weighted amount of refrigerant, the vehicle with the R134a has the capability to remove more heat (measured in btus) from the vehicle than the same type of vehicle using the same amount of R12. For instance you can evacuate FRIGC FR-12 into a refrigerant recovery bottle that has R134a in it or visa versa. Theres no doubt that R12 refrigerant is one of the first compounds manufactured for the air conditioning and refrigeration world, but it had to be banned. You do not however need to replace all the o-rings or seals for a simple conversion, it is simply a logical thing to do when and if the time comes to work or replace certain components because of age issues. Moreso, it had been banned. Yes R12 systems did cool better than R134a, but there are differences and it is not wise to go back wards. In the automotive world, the replacement for R12 was tetrafluoroethane, a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) branded as R134a. Thus, R-600a is more efficient than R-134a. Its often said that R12 is no longer available. Hand in hand with this is the global warming potential (GWP), which measures the gass potential as a greenhouse gas. At this time you can still find R12, but, because it is no longer produced, availability is limited to current inventories and the price per pound is greater than R134a. At room temperature R410a has a pressure of nearly 200 psi, while R134a is around 70 psi. You might find that the system doesn't get as cool even after properly charging it. Santech R12 to R134a Coupler . Additionally, R134a was introduced as a replacement for R22 and R12 in high and medium-temperature refrigeration systems like domestic and commercial chillers. R134a is an HFC or tetrafluoroethane, and its chemical formula is CH2FCF3. Price is reasonable Consistent and accurate It also means that rotary, centrifugal, and reciprocating compressors can be used with R12. Like R12, this product is non-toxic, non-flammable, and not explosive. 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. Interestingly, theres one oil type that works perfectly with both types of refrigerants. Also, R134a cylinders are light-blue in color. h. c. F. Porsche AG. The simple answer is you cant. Besides R134a there are some other refrigerants that are approved to replace R12 and there is a long list of refrigerants that are not approved. I did a beer cooler with a target temp of 36 degrees, these are largely different pressures than you'll see in automotive which has a max desired temp of 60 degrees. Unfortunately, the R12 refrigerant doesnt always blow cold air. Id already decided to, effectively, replace every major component, only re-using the hard aluminum lines and custom fittings on the soft compressor lines. R134a is a pure refrigerant that is sometimes used in blends, while R410a is itself a blend. In a comparison between R12 vs R134a vs R1234yf, R1234yf will pass as the best refrigerant. But, if your old compressor has lock-up or if your current expansion valve is not functional it would wise to replace the expansion valve with a valve designed for R134a. The approval is very legal one, governed by the U.S. EPA. If you are replacing other system components, such as condensers, driers or hoses, you may need to add more a/c refrigerant oil to the system. This is measured using a factor known as ODP (ozone depletion potential). Lastly, there are the flammable organic refrigerants (propane and its blends). Energy usage: R134a is less efficient in cooling compared to R12. Hope this helps Reply 10-10-2020, 01:12 PM #4 Chris Stritchko Replace the drier with a drier that has a desiccant that is R134a compatible, use new R134a o-rings. Because the two oils were different, R134a certainly wasnt a drop-in replacement for R12. Hence, the effect of R12 on global warming is up to 10,000 times higher than carbon dioxide. Before we mentioned that you can add approximately 5-6 ounces of ester oil to the compressor. That makes it safe in terms of safety to use. 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? A vacuum pump, a refrigerant recover system, quality service gauge set with both low and high side gagues, and much more besides the lessons to learn what to do and what not to do.