Is R12 refrigerant illegal?

It’s often said that buying or selling R12 is illegal. That’s not true either. Anyone selling R12 is required to verify that the buyer has an EPA Section 609 certification to work with mobile vehicle air conditioning (MVAC) systems.

Can you still use R12?

To be clear, it’s against the law to manufacture Freon. But it’s still perfectly legal to sell R12 refrigerant. Sellers might require proof of the EPA 609 certification needed to service refrigerant in cars.

What Freon is illegal?

R22
R22 (also known as HCFC-22) is a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) once widely used as a refrigerant. If your home or office AC is over 10 years, then it’s probably using R22 as its freon. However, R22 Freon is banned in the U.S. today.

When was R12 refrigerant banned?

The Ban on R-12 Refrigerant The government banned the use of R12 in certain aerosol sprays as early as 1978. By 1987, the United States and 22 other countries first signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, phasing out the production of R12 and other CFCs and halons over time.

What refrigerants are banned in the US?

USA: The US EPA is to ban a host of high GWP refrigerants including R404A, R134a, R407C and R410A in certain new products from as early as January 1, 2021.

What type of refrigerant is R-12?

Refrigerant R12 or Freon 12 The chemical name of refrigerant R12 is dichlorodifluoromethane and its chemical formula is CCl2F2. The molecular weight of R12 is 120.9 and its boiling point is -21.6 degree F. Since R12 has the molecules of chlorine and fluorine, it is called as chlorofluorocarbon (CFC).

Why was R12 phased out?

It has unusually high potential to cause the depletion of the ozone layer in the upper layers of the atmosphere that causes the greenhouse effect. Due to this, as per the Montreal Protocol, R12 has to be phased out completely by the year 2021.

Why is R12 being phased out?

Unfortunately, R12 has also been found to cause accelerated Ozone layer depletion. Therefore, 191 countries came together at the Montreal conference in 1985 and signed something called the Montreal Protocol, which called for the complete phase out of Ozone depleting materials. This includes R12.

What happens if you mix R12 with R134a?

Mixing R12 and R-134a refrigerants is illegal, and even if you previously bleed out the R12, the system has to be adjusted to use R-134a, or it will cause leaks, copper corrosion, and lack the lubrication required for optimal operation.