"Wes" wrote in message
...
"Wild_Bill" wrote:

I wasn't aware of fines for releasing R134a, Wes, but I'd read about the
fines for R12 before.

I was a bit shocked when I read about them myself. I thought all the pain
of changing was
for a environmentally safe substitute.

I've been somewhat outraged by the discontinued/removal of R12, but then
allow the sale of R134a to anyone with $4-6 in their hand.
I doubt that a customer even needs to be at least 18. The crap is sold
almost everywhere.

I've got a 30# tank of R134a, only thing the retailer cared about was if
my debit card
would clear.


It's gotta make me wonder how many million cans of R134a are sold every
year
just in the US, to consumers that will misuse the stuff, possibly many
times, to try to avoid having their car systems properly repaired/serviced
by a qualified AC tech.

Generally they put some in and see if the a/c works. If it works long
enough, they put
more in periodically.


It's as if those in charge are implying that R134a is actually good for
the
atmosphere.. maybe it cleans the air and actually makes trees greener!

Right. Likely Dow Corning had a patent and the right pockets were lined.

g Such a cynic.

R12 knocked holes in the ozone. They've gotten smaller since the stuff was
outlawed in '92 or so.

R134a is benign to ozone. However, it's a greenhouse gas -- something like
12,000 times more powerful in that regard than CO2. It is outlawed in the EU
starting, IIRC, in 2011.

There's another replacement that's supposed to be problem-free. We'll be
hearing about it soon.

Meantime, expect Stirling refrigeration engines to come on the market in a
few years for consumer applications. They use air or helium.

--
Ed Huntress