R-12 stunts, scams, and slam-dunks

["David A. Leonard" <dleonar1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have to share this scheme with you guys.....

You can recharge you own R-12 A/C system for as little as $50.00, including
license!

R-12 refrigerant is  available at NAPA stores country wide in 12 ounce cans,
right now!!!!!!!



Cost is $30.00 per can  . Cases of the stuff still are available on the
internet for $290.00 or so,,    30 lb. cans for around $750.00 . You have to
be licensed ,  which costs 20 bucks , online, at  http://www.epatest.com/,
the Mainstream Engineering site.  It is a 25 question, open book test, with
the book on line.....I got the "who's buried in Grant's tomb" question
wrong...(what is the gas that depletes the ozone), but got a perfect 24.

Take the test, they E mail you a temp license, and you can buy r-12, and a
recharge hose, or gages and a hose if you want to entertain yourself, at any
big auto parts store. The first guy at Napa will insist that they need your
license,  dogs signature, and  your wife three nights a week, and they STILL
can't sell it to you.  Ask the manager.  Ask them again..then,  miracle of
miracles, they can special order it.  Demand isn't that great because of the
great licensing scam, but we know better now don't we.  I bought 7 cans so
far this year.  ( I own three-12 rides).  Manufacture of R-12 has been
stopped, so if you plan to run an r-1 2 system, buy a few cans, as R-12 is
going nowhere but up in price.   It went from $25.00 to 30.00  since last
summer.

It always seems that a 12 oz can at the beginning of the season will tune a
system with no major leaks.The bottom line, as far as I can tell, on quickie
recharges, is that if you press in the Schrader valve on the system, and it
spits Freon,  freshening it with a can or two will work.  If you tweak the
valve, and it doesn't shoot at you, go to the recharge place, pay 80 bucks,
plus $50.00 0r $60 bucks a pound for Freon(my 88 735i holds 4.2 lbs., )   If
it will hold vacuum on the A/C machine get them to put in the UV dye,  drive
it around for a while, and come back and figure out where the leak is.
Maybe there is no major leak.  In that case drive around in you car all
summer.  In my case I needed a $300.00 condenser(the thin radiator in front
of the main radiator), three seasons ago.  If there is a substantial leak
have them suck out the remaining amount of Freon, an get them to credit you
for that on the recharge, after you fix your system.

Once you get your R 12 system functioning well,  NEVER let it get
discharged! Always start the summer by hitting it with a 12 oz can of R-12
Freon is super slippery, and slides out through almost anything, even in a
fairly tight system.  Run the system when you think of it through the
winter,  as regularly as possible.  This keeps the oil circulating, which
keeps the seals wet, and the R-12 is more likely to stay inside the system.
.  I spent a few years, recharging at $200 minimum a shot before I figured
ot the scam.    I've hit mine with a can two seasons in arow, and it is
still real cold. (technical term)


I know there are a lot of refrigerants that supposedly are "Drop in
Replacements",  but R-12 is still the cats ass for an r-12 system, and at
the prices it can still(for a while) be bought at, it is a nice solution.
It is hard to see how a retrofit can beat maintaining a working r-12 system
this cheaply.

Every body be cool!

Dave (I'm so COOOL I stop at Green lights) Leonard    Certified MVAC
Technician,  EPA Clean Air act Section 609.

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