Jim, what is "test refrigerant"
It is what I use to test a system before committing scarce
and expensive R12 to it. (None of my cars has sufficiently
'passed' the test to earn my only three cans of R12.)
It's a mix of isobutane and propane, and there are commercial
formulations of this. Costs about $7 per full* charge DIY.
* full as in fully functional, but hydrocarbon blends are
usually quite undercharged when compared to an R12
installation. This is to control the pressures, since
propane (R290) has an R22-like pressure curve. This
makes them very sensitive to minor leakage, with the
usual result being a need for an annual charge. Big
deal, so I have to spend $7/year to keep AC working
in each car!
According to the EPA (and just how does this policy result
in a protected environment?) it is not legal to use this
refrigerant or anything like it in the US. The political
machinations behind this policy are both frightening and
disgusting, I'll leave it to you to surf for it on the web.
is there a FAQ ? if you have been over and
over this is it in the archives ?
Only the two links I gave before:
http://cathey.dogear.com/efair.html
http://cathey.dogear.com/cwair.html
-- Jim
