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You are here: Knowledge Base > Refrigerants
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How can I know what refrigerant is in an A/C system? Last Updated: 09/28/2007 |
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There is no way of truly knowing what refrigerant is in an A/C system unless you use a refrigerant identifier. Of course the EPA mandates the use of unique fittings and labels for each refrigerant, however, when a car's A/C system has been retrofitted to use an alternative refrigerant, the "labeling/fittings" step of the process is often missed. Refrigerants cannot be seen, have no odor, have no distinct color, and have no audible marker –not one of the human senses works in identifying refrigerants. The only way to know what is in an A/C system is to use a refrigerant identifier. It only takes one car to pull in for an A/C service to set off a chain reaction. It's called the one car theory. One car pulls in for A/C service, the technician recovers the 'unknown' refrigerant from the car's A/C system and puts it in his R-12 bulk storage cylinder. After the service he recharges that car with the refrigerant from that cylinder –and he also charges every other car that comes in for R-12 service with that same cylinder. If car #1 in this story has a mixture of refrigerants -–now so does every other car that was serviced using that same cylinder…
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