Reader Cautions Against Low-Cost Freon Replacements

Reader Cautions Against Low-Cost Freon Replacements FARM HOME Cars 26-5-17 Be careful when using low-cost hydrocarbon freon replacements, says Don Castner, owner of an auto repair shop in Knoxville, Tenn. Castner and a friend were recently engulfed in a ball of flames when a cigarette ignited gas that escaped from a can of refrigerant after the nozzle was knocked off. Since then, he has refused to work on air conditioners charged with low-cost freon replacements and he has begun a mini-crusade to get the word out on potential dangers. "People don't realize what's in this stuff. They can be highly flammable. Basically, they're propane," he says. Castner is talking about low-priced alternatives to R-134a, which replaced R-12 freon when it was banned. Mel Brown, Johnstown, Colo., says the lower-cost products are legal, easy to use, and often cool better than 134a. He sells Red Tek 12a. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the lower-priced hydrocarbon refrigerants can only be used as a replacement gas in systems that have already been converted to R-134a. They've caught on fast because they're cheaper. A 1-lb. can of one of the hydrocarbon replacements will replace 3 lbs. of the more expensive R-134a. Fran Mougey of FM distributing, Enderlin, N.Dak., says sales of Glacier Gold hydrocarbon refrigerant have been doubling or tripling every year since he began selling it 5 years ago. As far as he knows, there's never been an accident handling the flammable gas. Most of the potential for an accident occurs while opening the cans and filling the system. Many of the product cans are labeled highly flammable. Mel Brown says a vehicle's gas tank probably poses a greater danger than the gas used in air conditioning systems. He thinks most of the safety complaints came from competitors. But he points out that it doesn't hurt to be careful and realize what's in those cans. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mel Brown, Red-Tek 12a, P.O. Box 580, Johnstown, Colo. 80534 (ph 970 587-2249; or Fran Mougey, Glacier Gold, 319 Broadway, Enderlin, N.Dak. 58027 (ph 888 437-3280).

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