I DID NOT suggest buying R12 FRAUDULENTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I said, go online, get an EPA license and then purchase it on ebay. This is COMPLETELY legal.

You DID NOT say in your original post that it was ILLEGAL TO MANUFACTURE. You said that R12 was ILLEGAL. That implies that it is illegal to purchase and charge an a/c with R12.

ADDITIONALLY you DO NOT "evacuate the system with R12 gauges and a recovery tank." That is RECOVERING the refrigerant. Evacuation is the operation of drawing a vacuum on the system and is a separate operation from recovery.

Also it is not a matter of remaining R12 that might be "lying around." There is plenty of it available from multiple sources. With the EPA license it is totally legal to purchase all that you can afford.

Most refrigerant oils DO NOT come with UV dye included. The dye can be easily added, and oil charges with dye are available.

You need to get your facts straight before posting information.


OP,

There are several methods that can be used to perform leak inspection. If there is any refrigerant left in the system at all, most any auto a/c shop can use an electronic leak detector to search for leaks. This doesn't take very long, so the charge is minimal.

If the system still has enough pressure, you can use a soapy substance to look for bubbles, but this is my least favorite approach.

A properly equipped shop can legally put in a couple of ounces of R22, pressurize the system with Nitrogen and then check with an electronic leak detector. This is usually used for really difficult to find leaks.

If a system has a slow leak it is practical to charge the system and add UV dye. Then after running the system, use a UV light to look for leaks.

All of these methods have their pluses and minuses and the method used is usually detected by the equipment available.

Also there is a fellow that is a common poster on the aircondition.com forum who happens to be in Boston. He might be able to point you to a shop that can deal with R12. Also, since you're in MA where it doesn't get all that hot, a 134 conversion might be what you have to resort to.