THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 9, 1995 TAG: 9506090623
SECTION: AUTO WEEKLY PAGE: H1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARY SCULLY
LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
[This story is not available electronically. For complete text, please see microfilm.] ILLUSTRATION: Color photos by ERIC THINGSTAD
Steve Paine, general parts and service director at Beach Ford, with
an R-12 reclaiming and recharging machine. The machine evacuates any
remaining R-12 from the air-conditioning system before repairs can
be made. No R-12 escapes into the atmosphere.
A reclaiming machine for R-134a has a larger tank, left, which
receives the old R-134a that is evacuated from a vehicle's system.
The smaller tank contains virgin 134a, used to recharge the system
once repairs are made.
The small L-shaped coupling is used on R-12 air conditioning
systems. A retrofit would include replacing this with the larger
coupling used on R-134a systems. The size difference prevents errors
in filling a system with the wrong refrigerant.
Photo
ERIC THINGSTAD
An additional pusher fan may be needed to move more air across the
fins of the condenser because R-134a is not as efficient a
refrigerant as R-12.
by CNB