HC12a System
Versus R134a System
Madison, TN
October 2004
By Charles Fox
(1 Page)

     Hydrocarbons are the best refrigerants for existing systems whether it is an R12 system or a R134a system and to my knowledge that has never been disputed. Hydrocarbons are non-corrosive, nontoxic, non-ozone depleting, non-global warming, and much more energy efficient than CFC’s or HFC’s.  Hydrocarbons are flammable because they are LPG’s (Liquified Petroleum Gases): naturally occurring compounds which are safe for the environment, and safe for human health.  Many LPG’s, including natural gas and propane, are safely used in numerous applications within homes, businesses, and motor vehicles throughout the United States and the world.
     For decades, large US. industries have utilized hydrocarbons within their air conditioning and refrigeration systems, and have found them to be highly efficient and safe refrigerants. Use and acceptance of hydrocarbons in motor vehicle and commercial air conditioning and refrigeration applications within the US. has been much slower.  Why is that?  The refrigerant market has been controlled by the chemical industry for over 60 years and nobody was willing to buck them as long as R12 was so cheap. We used to let it go into the atmosphere rather than recover it. In the 1990’s all of that changed. The industry realized that they could scare the people into believing that the sky was falling. They did a very good job.  Twenty years ago practically no one knew what the term freon meant unless you worked in the industry of air conditioning or refrigeration. Now you would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t believe that it is destroying the ozone layer. Is it really?  Freon (R12) is 4 to 8 times heavier than air. It holds together as a molecule for 130 years. How did it bounce up to 75,000 feet to destroy the ozone? You tell me.
     R134a was to be our savior and all the money and work caused the vast majority of people to believe that including me. In 1997 I started doing some research into R134a.
     What I found was almost unbelievable. R134a is extremely toxic and extremely corrosive, but that was not the worst thing that I uncovered. R134a is combustible at 351 degrees. Many people have seen cars on the side of the highway in the last few years that are totally destroyed from fire damage www.deadly134.com . Most people that read this article will not want to believe what I’m saying and all I can say is that I want you to prove me wrong.
     Street rods are probably the only thing that has kept me in business for the last few years because many of these are older cars that people do not want to convert to R134a because they have heard some of the information about it over the last few years.  Many street rod owners are thinkers and they do not want their cars destroyed.  What about the newer cars?  Why don’t people change their newer cars over to HC12a?  The most common arguments that I hear are, #1 That is what the car came with from the factory. #2 It still works. #3 I don’t want to buck the system.  Do any of these arguments make any sense?
     Another group of people who have kept me in business are the GMC motor home club members. On October 8th, 2004 I was invited to give a seminar to the club at their rally in Marion, NC.  I was received much better than I even expected. Many of them wanted to change their motor homes over that day. Some of them I did and many bought the HC12a to take home with them to do the job themselves.  I was told by some that I gave the best seminar of the whole week.
     How many of us have radial tires on our cars?  Back in the 1970’s I worked for my brother-in-law at his garage in Old Hickory, TN.  A few years earlier he had learned about Michelin radial tires and he was selling them. You would not believe the stories that were told about Michelin tires to keep people from trying them. Now how many cars come from the factory with radial tires? All of them that I know of in this country. How many of you run the brand of oil in your car that the factory recommends?  What about your spark plugs?  The list could go on and on. Why is the refrigerant any different? Do your research.
     What about reclaiming your refrigerant? Did you know that on March 12th, 2004 the Federal Government published in the Federal Register under the USEPA regulations that hydrocarbon refrigerants did not have to be reclaimed under their guidelines.  Did you know that the word is getting out about R134a and now the manufacturers are planning to change to another refrigerant that does not work as good as R134a. You can expect to buy another reclaimer in the near future.  Are the people in this country really that gullible? You tell me.
     Why don’t more people do their own A/C work instead of taking it to the A/C shops and being taken for a ride. It’s not rocket science.