"Steve B" wrote: (clip) you would have to read the manual, or find out if
you can do various refrigerants in YOUR apparatus.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I got the impression from what the OP wrote that he wants to use this thing
as a vacuum pump, not as a part of a refrigeration system. Lots of my
friends use the pumps out of refrigerators and ice machines for pulling a
vacuum--specifically, vacuum chucking on wood lathes. They work fine.