difference between r12 and r134a gauges
With the differences between the two refrigerants in mind, it goes without saying that charging an R12 system with R134a can have some serious negative effects. Plus, not releasing the chemical into the air is morally justifiable. 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. Because this recipe was quite expensive, a backlash developed which gave companies an opportunity to sell conversion kits consisting of nothing but the charging port adapters and a small bottle of oil that was somehow magically supposed to make your mineral oil R134a-compatible. When theyre in a liquid state, theyll remove heat from air passing over the pipes theyre in and slowly evaporate to form a gas. Both claims are demonstrably untrue. All these industries still have old plants that use these refrigerants. 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. Its possible to convert from R12 to R134a without replacing the systems components, so when R134a was brought out, it seems to be a good match to many automotive air conditioning issues. R134a was developed to replace R12, so it works over the same range of applications. If it splashes inside the eye, it could lead to a serious eye problem. While contained within a refrigeration system, this product is safe to use and poses no risk to the planet. R134a belongs to the family of HFCs or hydrofluorocarbons. Therefore, the R12 refrigerant is illegal, and emitting it is illegal. And then there is the very interesting refrigerant R152a, which is the ingredient in keyboard duster, minus the bittering agent added to prevent inhalant abuse. Chemistry. h. c. F. Porsche AG. Also, look for a blue sticker that gives the date of conversion. R134a is NOT less efficient than R12 Actually R134a is more efficient. link to Alternator Overcharging - Causes and Fixes, link to LS Head Bolt Torque Specs and Sequence. This means that this compound is made up of carbon, chlorine, and fluorine. We learned the theory behind refrigeration and air conditioning, which centers on this wonderfully useful bit of physics: When liquid boils and evaporates into a gas, it expands and cools. Nevertheless, repeat after me: It is illegal to vent refrigerant. These are cars with poor A/C reputations, which is precisely why I continue to use R12 in them. R12 is otherwise called dichlorodifluoromethane is a colorless gas (chlorofluorocarbon halomethane (CPC) that is used as an aerosol spray propellant and a refrigerant, and is soluble in organic solvents. Tiny amounts of oil will inevitably find their way into the stream of gas. The common problem when converting from R12 to R134a is lack of knowledge or equipment. When this happens, the chlorine in the product contributes significantly to the ozone layers depletion, leading to a lack of protection from harmful radiation. We consider the the various types alternative refrigerants that are illegal or not approved to be in two sectors: non-flammables and flammables. R134a vs R12 refrigerant? 3.5" Backlit Display & Visual Refrigerant Filling Window & High Strength MaterialHVAC digital manifold gauge set adopts 3.5-inch backlight display design,the data is easy to read,and each test result is divided by lines on the screen,the data is more intuitive.HVAC digital gauges is made of high-strength engineering plastic,with anti-slip To bless the system the technician should attach a R134a sticker somewhere in the engine compartment to note the car is using R134a. Instead of using R12, its preferable to use R134a because it is very easy to find in the market, its sold at an affordable price, and is environmentally friendly. Their differences come mainly in their chemical make-up and environmental impact. And it was safeneither poisonous to breathe, nor flammable. Thats not true either. Temperature and pressure chart for refrigerants R22, R410A, R12, R134A, R401A, R409A, R502, R404A, R507A, R408A and R402A. If youre going to go to all that effort on a vintage car with an A/C system that hasnt been used in years, it usually behooves you do a full-on rejuvenation of the system and replace the compressor with a new compact rotary-style unit, replace the condenser with the largest parallel-flow condenser and big fan thatll fit in the nose of the car, make all new hoses, and flush the evaporator. Hell, its possible that not all of the original A/C components are even there anymore. The flammables have hydrocarbons. His new book, Just Needs a Recharge: The Hack Mechanic Guide to Vintage Air Conditioning, is now available on Amazon. Stay on the right side of the law, the environment, and your conscience, and dont vent refrigerant. Miscibility with oil: R12 can be mixed with the compressor oil no matter the operating condition. Carbon dioxide is deemed to have a value of 1, so the higher the compounds factor, the greater its effect on global warming. 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. Moreso, it had been banned. Therefore, the higher the factor of the chemical (compound), the greater its effect on global warming. Remove the old mineral oil from the compressor by turning it upside down, side to side, and turn the front hub on the clutch assembly. Replace the drier with a drier that has a desiccant that is R134a compatible, use new R134a o-rings. As R134a was touted as the replacement for R12, and the conversion of the refrigeration system to run R134a was relatively painless, many commercial installations use this refrigerant. R22, or to give it its proper chemical name, chlorodifluoromethane (CHCIF), is a colorless, odorless, non-toxic, non-flammable alternative to older refrigerants. Make sure to wear safety gloves, goggles, and shoes when theres a possibility of exposure to the chemical (R134a). That doesnt mean to say that there are still many thousands of existing installations that are running refrigeration plants using this refrigerant to cool them. By using a black light the dye will glow in areas where oil leaks are visible. 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. 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. When the temperature is reduced to-7C or below, the plants ability to cool the airdrops significantly. Converting these plants to run modern refrigerants will be extremely expensive, and in many cases, mean complete replacement; these plants will likely continue to run for many years. And, unfortunately a small high side pressure gauge on a short hose. Hence, the effect of R12 on global warming is up to 10,000 times higher than carbon dioxide. At this point it is time to make an appointment with the a/c shop. The global warming potential of R134a is 1430. This is not to say that one of these small retro-fit kits cant be used, however to be used wisely. In most cases, the systems used have varied components, designs, and service ports. There are many thousands of older air conditioning and refrigeration plants that use these refrigerants. 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. In contrast, older CFC refrigerants had an ODP of 1. Failure to abide by the EPA regulations can result in expensive fines for either you or your service technician. Its among the greenhouse gases and will keep adding the current problem of heat not leaving the earths atmosphere. NOTICE: All images, artwork, text & copy on this site and page are legally protected and are not to be reproduced or distributed without prior written consent of Griffiths Technical Inc.Porsche is a registered trademark of Dr. Ing. We, the Rxmechanic team, have presented a well-detailed comparison of R134a vs. R12. But many European cars, such as the vintage BMWs I love, had A/C systems that never functioned all that well even when they were new and charged up with R12. R134a wont damage the earths ozone layer. Versus Ferrari F8 & Lamborghini Huracan Evo Cammisas Ultimate Drag Race Replay, Ultra RARE: Colin Chapmans Lotus Eleven + 327 Corvette Stingray with 4-speed | Barn Find Hunter Ep. Google use cookies for serving our ads and handling visitor statistics. The cylinder head gasket is one of the most over-engineered and stressed components in an internal combustion engine. You can then add ester oil thatll work with either R12 or R134a. Both of these products are refrigerants. 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. 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. No, its not possible to mix these two refrigerants. The issue is whether you should. R134a replaced R12 from 1994 onwards. Once you take these precautions, it would be possible to use R134A gauges R410A systems seamlessly. The conversion to more modern refrigerants will require a replacement of the system, which will cause issues in terms of originality when showing this type of vehicle.