Gdetrailer wrote:
kaydeejay wrote:
Your RV repir guy is correct PLUS RV A/C units were never built to be serviced so you would be paying him to solder in the fill valves.
That, plus the "Gray" market price of R12 at over $100/lb (if he can find any) may well run you close to the price of a new unit.
R12 is not all that hard to find AND it does not cost $100/lb..
I see it once and a while on Craigslist for $100-$150 PER THIRTY POUND CONTAINER.. That is THREE DOLLARS AND THIRTY THREE CENTS/LB to FIVE DOLLARS/LB ASKING PRICE.. I would bet that if you find a seller you could make an offer and they would take it.. Pretty much most of the "market" for R12 is in the wrecking yards now days and never going to need refilled.
1996 or so pretty much every vehicle manufactured that year and after uses R134a so we are talking 20 PLUS year old vehicles and those numbers are dwindling that are still on the road.
R12 was used pretty much exclusively in autos, some home fridges but not really in home A/C units (those used R22). Old dehumidifiers often used R500 and many refrigerators also..
Not to mention most any LICENSED A/C TECH should have a refrigerant recovery system which they will RECOVER AND FILTER the refrigerant to REUSE..
HERE is just one example of a place that ACTIVELY BUYS AND SELLS R12 and other refrigerants..
Although with RV systems, I would really suggest that you simply spend the money for a new unit.. The old ones were never designed or meant to be serviced and refilled.. You could spend money to have a tap put on and refrigerant loaded then find out the compressor is bad a day later..
I'm not sure about that last part. My old AC unit from 1993 works a lot better then the 2004 AC unit that my brother has on his 5th wheel. I looked at his to see if we could make it work better and it's just a really, really, really, poor design. Not every new one is better.