Propane is actually a pretty good refrigerant. There are blends of various hydrocarbons out there, being sold as replacements for R-12. I refer you to the endless flame wars which have taken place here on the board during the heat of the summer. As to whether propane is dangerous, I would say it certainly adds an element of risk. I personally don't think the additional risk is terribly significant relative to all the risks one already assumes driving an automobile, but that's just my opinion. I should note that I'm using a refrigerant blend in my old car which contains 4% butane. Of course, that's not enough to make it flammable - the oil in the system is much more likely to catch fire in an accident.

As to what you have to do - get your system cleaned out. Call around to see if you can find a garage that can/will recover the "junk" mixture. You may or may not be able to find one that can do so. It's illegal to vent "refrigerant" to the atmosphere, so that's not an option. (Oddly, this includes the propane, even though you can vent all the barbeque gas you want...) Don't event think of removing the black plastic caps and depressing the schraeder valves to release the refrigerant. Not only is this illegal, but it's dangerous - there is always the risk of frostbite when working with refrigerants, even on a hot summer day!

You probaby want to flush all the oil out of the system and refill it, as well. Given the mixture of refrigerants, you probably have a mixture of various kinds of oils within the system. This will require some disassembly, and removal of the compressor, but isn't terribly difficult.

After that, button it all up, replace the dryer, add oil, vacuum, and recharge. Should work like a champ.

- JimY