Get it while you can…
 

Looks like R-134a and other refrigerants are going to be phased out…

https://www.npr.org/2021/05/03/993054374/epa-moves-to-cut-a-powerful-greenhouse-gas?ft=nprml&f=1007

Great for refrigeration companies. Not so good for the rest of us.

What do they suggest we use instead?

Roll down the window, feel the warm air through your hair.

R-1234yf, R-152a and R-744

Apparently, R-134a will not phased out the same way R-12 was eliminated, which was to restrict production. It appears R-134a will be economically starved out over the next decade or so.

I don’t know anything about the 3 replacement refrigerants. Are they a direct replacement or do they require adaptation? Honeywell seems to say 1234yf is a drop-in replacement with the same characteristics and no adaptations required.

https://www.honeywell-refrigerants.com/india/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/honeywell-solstice-hfo1234yf-atlas-copco-case-study.pdf

According to this article…

https://www.underhoodservice.com/is-a-new-refrigerant-going-to-replace-r-134a/

…1234yf will require different service fittings, a different PAG oil and will not be available to DIYers.

And converting my SC to 134a is on the to-do list! I guess I go ahead and get it done.

I'm going the other way. I bought a 30 pound jug of R12 so I'm going to convert back to R12. Since I was getting "acceptable" cooling due to all the Griffith's upgrades, I should have even better results with R12.

Be sure you have installed the modern barrier hoses to prevent the flow loss of you R12. Also. Be sure your lubricant and compressor are compatible.

I have quite a few of Griffith's products already: Barrier hoses, evaporator & hurricane evaporator motor, variable speed fan controller, etc.

I will be working with Charlie at Griffith's to make sure I get everything right.

Funny thing is R12 was never eliminated as it’s the most efficient refrigerant for automotive use. Can be found with only a little effort. I’m sure R134a will be “eliminated” in the same way...

What about the days it is 100+ degrees and 90% humidity in Houston or Savannah? Drive to Key West, FL in the summer and tell me you don't want AC.

I will stick to my Air Conditioned nice cold car.

Great choice. My system is all replaced except the front condenser and the engine compartment condenser. Every other part has been upgraded. I love the variable speed fan switch and the cold air. It works so well that on a 12 hour drive in 100 degree heat driving due west with the sun shining through the windshield on my chest I had to turn the temp knob UP because I was getting cold.


My wife is happy to ride with me in the summer heat. We have been to 41 states in comfort, and plan to hit all 48 continental states in my 911.

What can be found is old stock. R12 hasn’t been made since the 1990’s.

Not true. I got the certification and buy it in bulk regularly from HVAC supply stores. I will look for a date on container but it’s certainly not old stock.

Cold temperature tolerance tends to weaken as we age.

Just saying !

But back on topic, looks like there's already a run on it, my order may be cancelled due to lack of stock.

Red Tek works nicely.

It is true.

R12 hasn’t been made internationally manufactured since 1996. It’s either old stock or reclaimed.

R12 : Refrigerant Freon Refrigerants R12 Refrigerant Dayton Ohio

You live in the Bay Area. Your opinion doesn’t count. LOL

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1620316947.jpg

June 2015 in lower corner...

Its been discontinued on paper only. Always been available and I don’t hear from my supplier that it ever will be...

R12 was about ozone depletion, the cause de jour of the 90s. R134 is about greenhouse gas, the current crisis de jour. The issue is that refrigerant gasses work because of specific properties around boiling points and densities. You can move that around with different pressures but ultimately you’re going to get a gas with measurable global warming potential.

Ultimately there is far too many r134 systems out there for it to go away any time soon, but stockpiling over time is a smart move.

The people that govern you don’t like you and want you to stop enjoying yourself, because your pesky nonconformance ruins their spreadsheets. Progress in life requires making peace with this and adapting accordingly.