Help! We got an unexpected present.

I"m seeing a 12a available. First i've heard of it so i have no idea how it is compared to 12.

I was a mechanic from 88 - 00. I remember 12 being banned from production in 96 or 97. And seems like no longer allowed for sale in 99. IN fact. The shelves were empty of ANY freon for a few years. You needed to be certified by the EPA to be able to buy. The last freon my shop i worked for bought, was 2 x 100 pound gas type cylinders. The kind used on portable torches. And those were bought when 12 was no longer to be legally sold. From some type of refridgerant specialy service center.

The 12a i'm seeing is expensive compared to 134. But still comparatively priced to what 12 was before it was banned.

Someone may still have some virgin 12. But if there's any recycled, i wouldn't use it. It wasn't all that great back in the day. I can't imagine it now. The machines that are used, only capture the stuff. They have no way of cleaning and recharging to original performance. If there is such a machine, it's probably expensive. The standard recovery machines back then, were around 10G.

Walmart has some cheap conversion kits. But i have no idea how well they work. BAck when it all started. It was talked about hoses and seals and what not needing to be changed. Because of the oil being different between the 2 freons. And the compressor would also need swapping. 134 runs at twice the pressure of 12. And only requires half the amount of 12.

In january, 1234 is the new chapter in ac.

 

According to wikepedia, 12a was designed to replace 12. But illegal in the US. Because of it's flamability.

 

I though upgrading to 134a was just installing newer different sized schrader valves. You can buy small cans and a cold shot recharge kit at truck stops and walmart. Many other locations too.

 

That's how it's done now. But don't know how well it would work.

In the beginning, it wasn't that simple.