R12 vs Freeze 12: Is Freeze 12 Compatible With 134A?
I know a guy who knows a guy, who knows a guy and he said... This is what you get many times over when you try to get information on different products. It can be frustrating as there are so many contrary opinions out there. Getting to the facts can be difficult.
Is Freeze 12 compatible with 134A? Not according to some experts. Freeze-12 uses ester oil while 134A uses PAG oil and the two oils are not compatible.
There seems to be a mechanical or parts exchange needed as well before you can successfully add Freeze 12 to your AC system. Some people say that you really do not need to use it and you should stick to 134A or the standard R-12.
To learn more about this topic, just continue to read our article. It is filled with the information you need to consider before you make your exchange. Take a few minutes to see if Freeze-12 is compatible with 134A and other coolants.
R12 vs Freeze 12
Is Freeze 12 Compatible With 134A?
It is difficult to answer this question simply because everyone has a different opinion about both products. The best information you can go by will be the ingredients. Freeze-12 uses ester oil while 134A uses PAG oil and the two oils are not compatible.
The best information we found was that you would have to ‘recover’ all the 134A or even the R-12 in your current system, change a few parts, and then you can add the Freeze-12 coolant. What makes it so tempting to simply add the Freeze-12 coolant is its cost.
This product seems to be the cheaper option making it perfect for many budgets. Also, the company says that it is the better option to use when you need to replace your older R-12 cooling system. There seems to be a lot of retrofitting if you are going to go with the 134A option.
Is Freeze 12 Compatible With R12?
The answer to this question will be the person or company you believe is telling the truth. According to the company you do not have to do any system flushes when you are replacing R-12 with Freeze-12. Also, you should not need to do any lubricant changes.
However, some users disagree with the company and say that you cannot simply top off the R-12 with Freeze-12. There is some work involved as you do need to remove all the existing R-12 from the system before you add the freeze-12 coolant to it.
Part of the debate rests on the fact that freeze-12 uses Ester oil while R-12 uses mineral oils. These two oils, like the PAG oil 134A uses, are not supposed to be compatible. When you talk to 5 experienced HVAC mechanics you may get 5 different opinions on the same topic.
R12 vs Freeze 12
For starters, Freeze-12 is supposed to be a lot cheaper than R-12. There was a time where R-12 was costing $800 for a 30-pound tank but since R-12 is not appropriate to use anymore, that price has come down some.
Then, Freeze-12 is supposed to be the ideal replacement for R-12 systems. You may have to use different fittings to make the conversion work but that is supposed to be the extent of the additional work you need.
Also, Freeze-12 is not supposed to be flammable nor does it contain any CFCs. Then you do not need to use as much Freeze-12 as you would R-12. The company states you only need 90% of Freeze-12 to make up the 100% R-12 use.
Keep in mind that the can may say something different from the company website details. It happens and this adds to the confusion surrounding these top coolant products.
What Refrigerant is Compatible With R12?
There are 3 good options you can choose from when you want to replace your old R-12 coolant. The first option is the newer 134A and it is called the best because it is a hydrofluorocarbon and has no ingredients that damage the ozone layer.
Next up, if you can’t find any 134A in your area, would be R-401a and R-401b. The former coolant is a mixture of R-22, R152a, and R-124 while the latter has the same mixture but in different levels.
The company that makes Freeze-12 says it is the perfect replacement for R-12 but that remains to be seen. Not everyone is convinced that it is. Also, 134a does have some training required as well as some parts that need to be replaced before it can be effective as a replacement for R-12.
Every mechanic may have their favorite coolant they use or at least the one they can charge the most for when they make the exchange for you.
What is the Difference Between R12 and R-12?
You may know R12 by its other name, freon 12. This is the most popular and widely used coolant and has a wide range of uses. But since R12 uses chlorine and fluorine it is called a CFC chemical that does damage to the ozone layer.
R-12 is also widely used and has many applications. In comparison, R12 is supposed to be safer, non-flammable, and it should not explode on you. However, it may dissolve into toxic chemicals when exposed to fires.
Also, it has the lowest refrigerant ability per pound of all the coolants. Yet, the greater weight this product comes with makes it easier to control refrigeration units. The other big disadvantage to this product is that it is a CFC chemical.
Is Freeze 12 Still Available?
It seems that it is and you may be only able to get this product through different qualified refrigeration companies. An internet search did not turn up very many options and the one company we saw that sold this product had varying prices depending on its use.
There were some being sold on eBay at the time of this writing and the product was being sold for $200. Unfortunately, most of the information about this product is at least or more than a decade old.
Not many people are talking about it right now so you may have a little difficulty finding it in your area. Even the go-to spot Amazon did not pop up in any searches which tells you that it may be hard to find these days.
This is something as most information we came across said that the users were not happy with 134A.
Where to Buy Freeze 12
We did check Amazon since it did not come up in any of our other searches. The best we could find were reviews from 2014. When we made a direct search no one at Amazon seems to sell it. That may be due to the rules involved with selling this product.
We saw one listing at eBay as we already mentioned and again, you may need the proper license to sell this product. That is why you should talk to licensed mechanics, refrigeration dealers, and similar companies to see if they sell it.
Licensing is a big obstacle when it comes to selling any coolant. It is a product that is heavily regulated and only those with a license can sell it. That means that you need to check your local companies that may or may not have an internet presence.
List of Freeze 12 Freon Dealers
We did a thorough search for this product and we came up with possible two dealers that have an internet presence. One was Johnsen’s, which is the brand name on eBay but when we looked at their website, they did not list any coolant under the Freeze-12 name.
There were products called freeze but the label only states Ester oil not Freeze-12 on it. That may be the same product as the freeze-12 on eBay. All the other coolants were listed as 134a.
The other dealer we found was frosty freeze refrigeration and you can access their website at this link. Part of the problem is that many other products are being sold on the internet that contain the words Freeze and 12 on their labels.
You may have to do a local search for the different refrigeration companies in your area as they would not appear on a brood internet search. We tried other marketplaces as well and if you do not have the proper license, you cannot sell this product.
This is what you will run into when you make your own searches.
Some Final Words
Freeze-12 may have been a good product but it also may have been replaced. The most popular websites that discuss this product are different forums for cars, trucks, coolants, and so on. Unfortunately, these forums are dated and the last entries are around 2011.
The best thing to do is to talk to your local refrigeration companies to see if they have this product on hand or if your mechanic is licensed to sell this product or install it. Your local companies will have the best information and if it is the best replacement choice for your coolant needs.
