I'm not considering R134. I'm talking about R416a which is a blend containing R134. The company says: Patented blend of the refrigerants R134a (59%), R124 (39%) and R600 (2%), which is formulated to closely match the thermodynamic properties of R12. Listed as SNAP acceptable by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in all mobile applications and has achieved Underwriters Laboratories (UL®) classification. FR-12 refrigerant is a low cost solution to the expensive and environmentally hazardous use of CFC based refrigerants. FR-12 is right for the environment, right for the equipment and right for the budget. A drop-in refrigerant designed to replace R12. ASHRAE A1/A1 safety designation. Non-flammable, non-toxic. Lower system operating pressures resulting in lower leak rates and discharge temperatures. Closest pressure match to R12. Compatible with Mineral, Alkylbenzene, POE, PAO and PAG oils, depending on the application. Recoverable and recyclable. Can be topped up. Produces faster pull-down times and is less susceptible to system failure under high ambient conditions. Sounds good to me.
I thought I would post this to add to the discussion. Also, what problems would straight R-22 cause? http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/refrigerants-d_902.html
R-22 runs on much higher pressures.430-450kpa(63-65psi) on the low side and 1400-1600 kpa(203-230psi) on the high side. R134a in A/C applications should run at around 215kpa(31psi) on the low side and around 960kpa(140psi) on the high side R-12 in A/C applications runs at around 210kpa(30psi) on the low side and around 900kpa(130psi) on the high side. On a personal note my cars A/C had been converted to R134a by a previous owner and I couldn't get lower than 8 degrees celsius(46F) at the vent.I have gone back to R-12 and am now getting around the 2-3 degree celsius mark(35-37F) at the vent
Once source said buy R-12 on eBay going for $35+/- per lb. Is that the going rate? How much R-12 should it take to recharge the system? What hardware is required to connect to the compressor to charge it? Who supplies that hardware? Having trouble finding a AC facility in the East Bay (San Francisco) that still services R-12. Thanks for suggestions.
EPA 609 Certification: $20 http://www.epatest.com/ Ability to buy large amounts of R-12 on Ebay at $10-12 per pound: Priceless. I did this recently for an old Porsche I own, and have a 30lb tank of R12 in the garage here in SoCal. I can't evacuate systems myself, but after I have that done I will replace all o-rings and the receiver/drier, then re-charge the system myself. All it takes is a decent gauge set and a way to bridge the low pressure switch while the system is charging.
R-12 isn't officially available anymore in Australia but you can still buy it from people who have it.Going rate is around the $100-110/kg.From memory the 308 needs just under 1 kg