ACtion Magazine - January/February 2012 - (Page 18)

Link followed: wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_does_it_cost_to_replace_freon This link appeared after a search representing how a beginner might go about finding out the basics or necessary items to do a driveway recharge. “How much will it cost?” “Wikianswers” is part of Answers.com, a site styling itself the “world’s leading Q&A site.” Registered members can post a question and somebody else with the knowledge will post the answer. Being a wiki, others can change or add to the original answer at any time. This question was originally posted under the topic “Mercury Monterey” and then cross-referenced to HVAC. There is no apparent citation of dates for the question or the answer. Q: “How much does it cost to replace Freon?” A: Freon (R12) is a refrigerant that started being phased out in the early 90s. The last I knew it was selling for about $50.00 a pound and a car usually takes about 2 pounds. So a simple evacuation, then recharge may cost about $150.00. This however probably wouldn’t include diagnosis of the reason why it needs recharging in the first place (i.e. a leak) so replacing alone will most likely lead to another trip to the garage to charge it and actually find the leak. If the car is 1992 or newer it will almost definitely be equipped with the new refrigerant R134 which costs about $18.00 a pound making the repair that much cheaper. Also if it is equipped with an R12 system, the best recommendation is to have it retrofitted to R134. A simple and fairly inexpensive job. Since the owner did not provide the year or any other identification for the vehicle, it is impossible to know what vehicle is under discussion. Mercury has used the Monterrey name on a variety of models from the 1950s through the early 2000s. Whether this vehicle truly needs R-12 or the newer R-134a is unknown. The response, while not wrong, is un-informative to the owner because so little info is provided. Part of the repair or recharge cost will be based on shop time spent and that can’t be known until the work begins and the problem is fixed. Since no dates appear with the text, the prices mentioned seem to be far out of date. A check in mid-June 2011 shows 12-oz cans of pure R-134a retailing between $9 and $15 per can in retail outlets. R-12 is still available; one reputable supplier lists a single 12-oz can at $29 (just under $40/ lb.) and 30-lb tanks for $675, equivalent to $22.50 per pound. The primary faults here are that the information is extremely vague and (because nothing ever dies on the Internet) probably out of date on the pricing as well. Having read this reply, the owner may think himself well-informed, when in fact he has learned nothing of value. ❆ 18 Reader Reply No. 48 ACTION • January / February 2012 http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_does_it_cost_to_replace_freon http://www.Answers.com http://www.macsw.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=ACtion_Reader_Reply

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ACtion Magazine - January/February 2012

ACtion Magazine - January/February 2012
Table of Contents
Outlook
Expansion Valve
Technically RELAY-ted
Under The Southern Cross
Leonard’s Law
Cooling Corner
Virtual View
News & Updates
Heating Up a Cooling Aftermarket
Refrigerant Oil: What You Can’t See Can Warm You
2011 Pioneer Award Honorees
Membershop Profile
Association News
Obituary
Quick Check
New Products & Services
Last Watch

ACtion Magazine - January/February 2012