430K950030
United States Air and Radiation
Environmental Protection 6205J
Agency
EPA 430-K-95-003 C*
June 1995
&EPA Keeping Your
Cuetomere Cool
Servicing Vehicle Air-Conditioning
Systems During the CFC Phaseout
Recycled/Recyclable
IX Xj Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Recycled Paper
(50% Postconsumer)
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NOTE TO SERVICE
FACILITY OWNERS AND
MANAGERS
ilave your customers asked you about why the costs of CFC-12
and air-conditioner servicing have increased? Or, whether they should
continue to use CFC-12 or switch to an alternative refrigerant? Have
your technicians asked you about whether it's legal to "top off" air-
conditioning systems? We hope this booklet will help you respond to
these and other questions related to servicing vehicle air conditioning.
Make copies of part or all of the booklet or order more copies (while
quantities last). Be prepared for customer questions by having supplies
of information brochures on hand. Display posters or play videos to
inform your customers.There is an order form at the back of this
brochure for items available from EPA. Materials are also available
from many of the organizations listed at the back of this booklet.
We appreciate your help in informing vehicle owners of the reasons
behind the global ban on CFC-12 production and the options they
have for servicing their vehicles.
Mary 0. Nichols
Assistant Administrator
Office of Air and Radiation
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WHEN CUSTOMERS ASK
M,
lore and more customers are asking questions and seeking advice
about the use of CFC-12 (Freon) in their air conditioners. Remember
the following key points when responding to their questions:
<& Production of CFCs will be banned in
industrialized countries after 1995.
& CFCs can be used after 1995, but the supply
will diminish and price will increase over
time as existing stocks are depleted.
When vehicle air-conditioning systems are
repaired, they must be serviced by EPA-
certified technicians in facilities that use
approved recycling equipment—it's the law!
If major repairs are being made to the air-
conditioning system (e.g., after a major
system failure or a collision), vehicle owners
should consider having the system retrofitted
to use an alternative refrigerant.
Alternative refrigerants that have not been
listed as acceptable by EPA should not be
used. Some are highly flammable.
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How CFCs PEPLETE
THE OZONE LAYER
CFCs drift high up into the stratosphere where the sun's rays break them
apart, starting a chain reaction in which chlorine destroys ozone. As the
level of protective ozone diminishes, larger amounts of ultraviolet (UV) radi-
ation reach the Earth's surface. For people, overexposure to UV rays can
lead to skin cancer, eye cataracts, and can weaken the immune system.
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ABOUT
OZONE AND CFCs
Q. Why should I care
about ozone depletion?
A. The ozone layer protects
life on Earth from the sun's
harmful ultraviolet (UVB)
rays. Depletion of the
ozone layer can result in
increased UVB radiation
reaching the Earth's surface,
which over time could lead
to increases in skin cancer,
cataracts, and weakened
immune systems.
Q. Aren't volcanoes
responsible for the
chlorine that depletes
ozone?
A. It is true that volcanoes and
oceans release large amounts
of chlorine. However, chlorine
from these sources is easily
dissolved in water. It washes
out of the atmosphere in the
rain without ever reaching
the stratosphere.
In contrast, CFCs are not
broken down in the lower
atmosphere and do not
dissolve in water. Measure-
ments show that the increase
in the amount of strato-
spheric chlorine since 1985
matches the amount of CFCs
and other ozone-depleting
substances released from
manmade sources.
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Q. CFCs are heavier
than air, so how do
they get to the
stratosphere?
A. CFCs are transported into
the stratosphere by winds.
Thousands of measurements
made from balloons, aircraft,
and satellites confirm that
CFCs and other ozone-
depleting substances are
present in the stratosphere.
Q. Why \e the ozone hole
over Antarctica if
most CFCs are
released in
the Northern
Hemisphere?
A Within a year or two, CFCs
are mixed throughout the
atmosphere regardless of
where they are released.
They rise to the strato-
sphere over the equator
and then move to both
poles. The unique seasonal
climate over Antarctica
creates the conditions that
promote the formation of
the seasonal "ozone hole."
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HANDLING CFCs
hanks to the efforts of the auto servicing industry, CFC recycling
has quickly become the standard practice. Over 800,000 technicians
have been certified and the industry has made a substantial invest-
ment in recycling equipment. As a result, the amount of CFCs needed
for servicing has decreased by more than one half.
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ABOUT
CFC-12 RECYCLING
Q. Does EPA require that
all leaks in motor vehi-
cle air conditioners be
repaired?
A. No. EPA does not require
that leaks be repaired.
Technicians should not say
that leak repair is required
under federal law. Making
such a statement is a form
of consumer fraud.
EPA does recommend that if
a leak is identified, the cus-
tomer should be presented
with all the options for ser-
vice. At that time, customers
should be advised of the
benefits of repairing leaks.
If the customer does not
choose leak repair, the tech-
nician may refill the system if
requested to do so by the
customer (unless a state or
local leak repair requirement
forbids this).
Q. \e a technician required
to recover and recycle
any refrigerant added
to a system for the
purposes of leak
detection?
A. Yes. Refrigerant added to a
system for the purpose of
leak detection and then
removed must be recovered
and recycled. The leak detec-
tion charge may be left in
the system at the request of
the customer.
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WHAT THE CFC PHASEOUT
MEANS ON THE JOB
When you service vehicle air-conditioning systems that use
CFC-12, you should:
Follow accepted procedures for changing
fittings and labeling refrigerants in vehicle air
conditioners that have been retrofitted.
? Handle refrigerants with care to prevent
mixing. It is critical that supplies of CFC-12
and R-l34a be recycled separately to prevent
cross-contamination.
/ Stay informed about which alternative refrig-
erants have been accepted by EPA for use in
vehicles and what vehicle manufacturers are
saying about how alternatives perform in
their autos and trucks. Use only an alterna-
tive that is listed as acceptable by EPA. At
present R-l34a is the only alternative listed
as acceptable, which has also been fully
tested and specified by the auto manu-
facturers in their retrofit guidelines.
/ Beware of buying CFC-12 refrigerant that is
substantially below the average market price.
Such refrigerant is likely to be illegally
imported. It may be contaminated and could
damage vehicle air-conditioning systems.
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ABOUT
NEW REFRIGERANTS
Q. I know that the o\d
refrigerant, CFC-12,
does not pose health
risks when used
properly. Is this also
trueofR-154a?
A. Based on extensive testing,
R-134a is regarded as one
of the safest refrigerants
yet introduced.The accept-
able worker exposure limit
for R-134a is the same as
for CFC-12. Because it is
so safe, R-134a is also being
proposed for use as a
propellant in nasal inhalers.
Q. \& R-134a flammable?
A. R-134a is considered as
safe or safer than CFC-12
in motor vehicle uses.
R-l 34a is not flammable at
outdoor air temperatures
and atmospheric pressures.
Some mixtures of air and
R-l34a have been shown to
be combustible at elevated
pressures. R-134a service
equipment and vehicle
air-conditioning systems
should not be pressure
tested or leak tested with
compressed air.
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Q. Has EPA accepted
refrigerants for use in
auto air conditioners
other than R-134a?
A. FRIGC, a blend of several
refrigerants, has been desig-
nated as acceptable for
motor vehicle use. FRIGC's
manufacturer has informed
EPA that FRIGC will initially
be marketed for use in auto
fleets only.
Q. What steps does
EPA require when retro-
fitting air-conditioning
systems to
use alternative
refrigerants?
A. During retrofitting,
technicians must
• Attach a unique fitting
and label;
• Remove the CFC refriger-
ant before filling the system
with an alternative;
• Use recycling or recovery
equipment during refriger-
ant removal.
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Q. Has EPA declared any
alternatives to CFC-12
for use in vehicles to be
unacceptable?
A. Yes.The Agency has deter-
mined that OZ-12 and
HC-12a are unacceptable
for use in motor vehicle air
conditioners because of
unanswered flammability
concerns. It is illegal to use
them as a refrigerant in
vehicles.
Q. What does EPA
acceptability mean?
A. EPA reviews alternative
refrigerants for their safety
and environmental effects,
especially flammability.
EPA does not evaluate
their performance in air-
conditioning systems. For
information about whether
EPA has reviewed an alter-
native refrigerant, call the
EPA hotline number at the
back of this book.
10
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IN SUMMARY
' While production of new CFC-12 will be pro-
hibited after 1995, its use will still be allowed.
Vehicle manufacturers recommend that owners
of cars with CFC-12 air-conditioning systems
continue using CFC-12 as long as it is available.
' It is good practice to recommend that leaky air
conditioners be repaired, rather than just
"topped off" with additional refrigerant Such
repairs prolong system life, reduce emissions, and
conserve existing supplies of CFC-12. Leak repair
is not required under federal law, but it is
required in some areas (for example, Florida;
Wisconsin; parts of California;Austin,Texas;
Albuquerque, New Mexico; and possibly others).
^ At present, advise vehicle owners to have their
cars retrofitted only when the air-conditioning
systems need major work, such as
• after a collision; or
• when you are replacing major system
components.
In the future, as supplies decrease and costs of
CFC-12 increase, it is likely that retrofits will
make economic sense in most cases. -*-
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090
Consumers need to beware of false dams
about alternative refrigerants.They should
purchase only alternatives that have been listed
as acceptably EPA based on health and safety
considerations. At present, R-134a is the only
alternative refrigerant that has been fully tested
and recommended by vehicle manufacturers.
(R-l34a contains no chlorine and therefore
does not harm the ozone layer.)
P And finally, service facility owners and managers
can help by providing up-to-date informat,on
about the use of CFC-12 and alternative
refrigerants. Displaying posters and videos and
passing out brochures will help service ferity
owners, managers, and technicians educate
consumers about their options.
12
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U.S. Environmental Protect/on Agency
Office of Air and Radiation
Stratospheric Protection Division (6205J)
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
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&EPA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Air and Radiation (6205J)
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
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