WHere can I purchase a couple of cans of r 12--- aka freon. appreciate any leads. James
Craigslist or ebay is where i have found all mine.
Before you put that preciously priced, hard to find, Freon in the system, have it checked for leaks or you may be searching for more Freon again.
You could try some of the local refridgeration contractors that work on commercial freezers,they sometimes decommision them and have the R-12,they have to reclaim it from the freezers.You might be able to find someone who "moonlights" and will sell you a bit,try a smaller company and see if they can help. harveyb
Freon is an old DuPont brand name and applies to more than just R-12.
Pretty sure you need a cfc license to legally purchase R12.
Yes
It is illegal to sell R-12 to an un liscensed person.
Crag Surfas
I found 18 cans on Craigslist for $150 from an AC guy who retired. There are still deals out there. Air Liquide sells it, 30lb bottles though.
Dave
I bought all mine from eBay.
There is a debate on whether you can buy. By me you can buy as long as you have a licensed person use it. The funny thing is the license is a $20 open book test for the certification. That is about half the cost of one 12 oz can.
My eBay stuff. For some reason I want to stick to just the Dupont brand.
When this stuff was hitting 30+ a can, there was a TON of counterfeit stuff out there.
Use with caution!
James, we're still in America. BUY whatever you want, where ever you can find it, charging the system isn't hard,
you'll find someone to do it for you for a nominal fee if you prefer.
As was said above, beware of bootleg "Dupont" and other brands. Once 12 was on the way out folks started canning "propellant" R12 as refrigerant. It contains an excessive amount of
Moisture and impurities. Also tales of horror regarding who knows what canned as R-12 from Mexico and China. Yes Laurie this IS America but liscensing include the expertise in evaluating refrigerants and their quality.
Greg Surfas
Canning
This one has been beat to death many times. Hearsay prevails.
There's apparently a limit the EPA imposed on size of retail container, since if you read the regs, 40 CFR 82.157. You shouldn't be able to go to the parts store and get a can of anything for AC, without a certificate, but that's not the case. You have to have a certificate to purchase R-12 in the >20 lbs cylinders last I recall. Section 608 was revised 2020 to 50 lbs for non-ozone depleting. But an easy thing to do to get certified. "Legal" repair requires the "machine" to extract and capture the refrigerant for commercial repair, etc. Since your auto A/C takes only a couple lbs of gas, I don't know it would make much difference, if it escaped, but the Govt doesn't want to admit things like that. They multiply by the number of cars and look at total impacts.
The use is not restricted, the release to the atmosphere and manufacturing is. So things like blowing agents which by design go to atmosphere had to go to something else, unless they were exempted. One could petition for exempted use.(all about $$$)
The reason the knock offs came, was China, etc. were the only "legal" producers, deemed "developing countries" after the protocol. We(US) weren't allowed to make R12 because we were "developed". But we could buy it from the undeveloped makers? Legalized monopoly so to speak.
I used to make refrigerants and did sample blending for R&D, and I didn't see much logic used in the law...like most. Don't feel bad if it's confusing, it's meant to be.
I had a ton cylinder of R-12 on hand at all times and that was well after the protocol. I published the list with compositions before, but no archive on CLC. Have to search the forums.
Any time there's a shortage, real or perceived, the price gougers reign. Caveat emptor.
p;I wouldn't be advertising on the internet I was dealing in anything the govt could monitor... Especially, with the current misinformation regime.
Jim
With bootleg refrigerants legality is secondary to safety and equipment longevity. That expression "if it seems too good to be true......".
Greg Surfas
I got my license awhile back just for the purchase of R12. The only people who will ask to see it will know there is a law. Everyone else just wants the money. Many shops that do AC work have a stash of R12. Getting them to let go of it is another story.
Dave
I would add to the comments on imposter products, quality, and what's out in the market. In the '90's and early 2000's there was a R-12 substitute product called "FREEZE 12" sold "over the counter" not requiring certification, because it WAS NOT Freon. It seems that now, people are finding these cans and putting them on the market representing these as R-12 "the real McCoy" probably more out of ignorance more than deception. Joe Gibeault
Last 30# drum of certified recycled R-12 cost me $1200.00. I'm told it has doubled, but it is still available
Greg Surfas
Quote from: Dave Shepherd on May 16, 2022, 01:17:56 PM
Pretty sure you need a cfc license to legally purchase R12.
or attest to reselling to someone with a license or having a licensee do the install.
Really very much appreciate the many insights. FOrtunately, I did find a shop that handles r 12... James
Quote from: James Landi on May 26, 2022, 08:29:32 PM
Really very much appreciate the many insights. FOrtunately, I did find a shop that handles r 12... James
HAPPY DAY!!!