Anybody put 414a in an R12 system? I know some folks have put 414b Hot Shot in theirs but I can't find it around my area, not sure if it's still available. I can get 414a and my HVAC friend says it's a direct drop in for R12 commercial use, freezers and coolers, but he doesn't know about older auto systems.

Thanks for any help,

Cliff

EDIT: Maybe I've got that backwards, sorry. I'll read more on it.

Edited July 31, 201410 yr by siteunseen

I don't have an answer to your question -- only a comment: As long as R12 is still available (which it is), it seems better to use R12. Last I checked, a can was about $30 on ebay. In fact I bought some guy's last private stock (2 lbs) for $1 a can at a garage sale. It was in a box of automotive products labeled $1 each. I remember his wife shouting into the house, "Are you sure you want to sell this stuff for $1 a can?" And he shouted back, "Yeah, $1 each for anything in the box." (I think she knew it was worth quite a bit more than that.)

I've got a friend that has the 414 in those big tanks I'm just not sure which to use but you're right, E-bay would be a sure thing.

Those are the yard sales I like, when they don't have time to check everything. Maybe I could find some between here and Addison, MI. The 127 Sale-The World's Longest Yard Sale

One more thing: A drop-in replacement doesn't mean you can mix refrigerants. You would need to evacuate/reclaim the R12 anyway. If you do mix refrigerants, not only will it muck up your system, but nobody will want to touch the witch's brew in your system, meaning it will cost you a lot of money to have it reclaimed. You can't intentionally vent it, and the fines for doing so are huge -- like $25,000! By the time you pay a shop to reclaim the R12 (even in its unmolested state), you might as well have bought a can or two of old-stock R12 and shot it into the system yourself. As I recall, the system in my '78 holds 1.5 lb. Your system is probably a bit different.

I've found 2 12oz cans of R-12 and a can of the oil. Might just put the oil in and save the freon for next year. I don't know much about the A/Cs and will be pulling the motor out this fall. I'd hate to waste the 2 cans unintentionally.

This low-tech freon reclamation method might be of use: If you can find an empty refrigerant cylinder, you can evacuate it with a vacuum pump. Note: It must be free of any oils, which it almost certainly would be. Find an R22 cylinder to be safe -- compatible oil. After evacuating it, hook it up to your AC system's low side port (engine NOT running). Put the cylinder in an ice bath, and the freon will evaporate from your car's AC and condense into the chilled cylinder. This will take some time, and the process will go faster if your engine compartment is nice and toasty. You can hear the gasses transferring by putting your ear to the cylinder. When you hear no more hissing, and when the gauges stabilize in pressure, the transfer is complete, and you've got almost all your R12 in the cylinder, ready to re-charge your system later. If you want to do a much more thorough job, use dry ice instead of (water) ice. There will be almost no residual R12 in your system.

If you use 1/2 of a can of freon, you can use your new R12 tank to hold the other half (same ice method). If you don't transfer it, the can will leak the remaining 1/2 pound before you have the opportunity to use it, and our planet will also suffer needlessly for it. The big tank is much more leak-free, particularly if you cap the valve.

Obviously, use this advice at your own risk. I'm not responsible for the consequences. Hire a licensed professional instead. You will die or become seriously injured. Void where prohibited by law. Some restrictions apply. Batteries not included.

Edited August 9, 201410 yr by FastWoman