The importance of A/C system oil balancing
June 21, 2022
Sometimes we encounter information where directions instruct us to drain the compressor being removed from a system and measure the amount of oil that drains out. Then the next step is to subtract this number from the number of ounces that are supposed to be in the shipped replacement compressor.Read Article >
Refrigerant Oil capacity
June 15, 2022
When an air conditioning system is first assembled, all components (except the compressor) are refrigerant oil free. After the system has been charged with (R-134a) refrigerant and operated, the oil in the compressor is dispersed through the lines and components. The evaporator, condenser, and receiver/ drier will retain a significant amount of oil. Refer to the A/C Component Refrigerant Oil Capacities table.Read Article >
A look at the new standard in mobile air-conditioning chemistry
June 6, 2022
Since Packard offered the first automobiles with factory air-conditioning in 1939, mobile cooling has been driven by R-12 and R-134a (both refrigerants in the Freon™ product family), followed by what is quickly becoming today’s standard, R-1234yf.Read Article >
A new refrigerant for Trucks?
May 4, 2022
EPA has listed HFO-1234yf under the Significant New Alternatives Policy Program for Motor Vehicle Air Conditioning in Non-road Vehicles and Servicing Fittings for Small Refrigerant CansRead Article >
The desiccant myth
April 12, 2022
There is a myth that exists involving A/C service work and driers that seems to come up from time to time. I have encountered it when handling tech calls and have seen it come up in A/C forums. Read more to find out what it is.Read Article >
Replacement refrigerant confusion
March 22, 2022
There was a group of several refrigerants which were blends with a high percentage of R-134a and a smaller percentage of R-142 that seemed to be the most popular.Read Article >
Talking refrigerant safety
March 15, 2022
Let's say I brought my car in to your shop with an A/C problem and described what was going on with it. You might ask me if myself or someone else had worked on it. Right?Read Article >
What does a MACS Section 609 card look like?
March 10, 2022
MACS occasionally receives reports from the field of a technician being refused purchase of refrigerant for not having a proper Section 609 card. Usually this is due to the technician not producing the right card or the counterperson not understanding what a MACS Section 609 card looks like. What does a MACS Section 609 card look like?Read Article >
Refrigerant supply, pricing and safety
March 8, 2022
What I'm hearing about refrigerant supply and pricing this year reminds me of a similar period in the mid-2000s. It was springtime, just before the start of A/C season. Supplies of R-134a were tight and the price had come close to tripling from the prior year.Read Article >
Refrigerant reminders
March 1, 2022
It could be a challenging year keeping adequate supplies of R-134a on hand and it will be more expensive.Read Article >
Checking for refrigerant contamination
February 24, 2022
A large percentage of MACS members have refrigerant identifiers and use of them on vehicles that come into their shop for A/C service prior to beginning any service work is standard procedure. However, there are a lot of non-MACS member shops who do not have identifiers and unfortunately are not aware of the potential issues which can be caused by refrigerant contamination.Read Article >
Correcting user error
February 15, 2022
As mentioned in last week's article, the first thing I did with the machine was check the pressure of the refrigerant in the tank. It was extremely high (well over 400 PSI) indicating there was a refrigerant contamination problem.Read Article >
