your basic frigc article...
'Drop-in replacement' for Freon shows promise
Eric Peters
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
476 Words
3103 Characters
07/03/98
The Washington Times
2
E5
(Copyright 1998)
Shade-tree mechanics have tried using everything from propane to
helium in Freon systems to get around having to retrofit their
vehicle's AC system - sometimes with disastrous results.
About a week ago, the newspapers carried a story about a home
mechanic who charged his older car's AC system with butane - also
known as lighter fluid.
Everything worked for a little while - but the man wasn't aware of
a small leak that allowed the butane gas to collect inside the
passenger compartment of his vehicle.
One morning, when the man opened the car's door to get in, the
spark created by the vehicle's electric system ignited the
accumulated butane vapors and the car literally blew up in his face.
Luckily, the man was not injured seriously - but the car was
totalled.
A better alternative would be a safe, "drop-in" replacement
refrigerant for R-12 that doesn't harm the environment (Freon was
banned as a result of claims that the chlorine molecules - CFCs - it
contained harmed the Earth's protective ozone layer).
Such a godsend may have arrived in the form of a promising new
compound developed by InterCool Energy Corp. and Pennzoil. This
Environmental Protection Agency-approved "drop-in" replacement
* refrigerant goes by the trade name FR-12 and can be used in older
cars with Freon air conditioners without any significant
modifications to the system, according to company spokesmen.
* Unlike R-134a, FR-12 is said to be completely compatible with
Freon and uses a similar lubricant - not the highly caustic PAG oil
used in 134a systems.
This means the old compressor, evaporator and other parts do not
have to be replaced.
InterCool spokesmen claim their product provides the same level of
performance in terms of cooling efficiency as Freon - but poses no
threat to the environment because it does not contain CFCs.
Mark Wilson of InterCool said that a typical retrofit to R-134a on
a vehicle like a 1990 Ford Bronco would cost the owner approximately
$500, according to dealer pricing manuals. In contrast, purging the
* Bronco's existing system and replacing the Freon with FR-12 would
cost less than $100 - a savings to the owner of more than $400.
* FR-12, in addition to receiving the EPA's seal of approval, has
been successfully tested in several real-world applications. Taxi
cabs in Las Vegas have used the refrigerant without problems and it
has been adapted to military vehicles at Tinker and Elgin Air Force
bases.
If you are the owner of one of the approximately 120 million
vehicles on U.S. roads with a Freon-based air conditioner, you might
* want to ask your mechanic about FR-12 the next time you have to have
your air conditioner serviced.
Assuming the stuff does indeed perform as advertised, it could
save you a lot of money and enable you to retain the use of your
exisiting AC system almost indefinitely.
I0607 * End of document.
Frigcanada web site still not up however person in charge posted at HD Air.com again...
G.A.S. Service Replacement Products Inc. based in Ayr, ON CA are national distributors of FRIGC .. refrigerant for mobile a/c and stationary refrigeration
applications.
Product is now available in Alberta through Allied Warehouse Distributors in Calgary, 1-403-243-7426. Sug. Wholesale $390 for 30lbs. plus $75.00 Core
Charge. Volume discounts.
Product and Distribution inquires are welcomed. Call 1-888-898-8629.
Bob Felker
Director of Operations
G.A.S. Service Replacement Products Inc.
|
