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VWagabond
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2011
Posts: 277
Location: Charlotte, NC
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 Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2022 11:01 am Post subject: AC Season Coming Up, Can't Locate Red Tek R-12a |
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Have need of Red Tek refrigerant to recharge due to a ruptured hose I've replaced but am having problems finding some place to buy it. The one source I've located requires I be an EPA Certified AC Tech...I was at one time in the 90's but left the body repair business long ago and all my I-Car & ASE certifications have long since expired. Anyone else having a problem with this? Anyone know where a layman can buy it?
Tom
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VWagabond
87 Camper GL
87 Syncro GL |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32988
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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skills@eurocarsplus
Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 17945
Location: sticksville, ct.
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| Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2022 11:31 am Post subject: Re: AC Season Coming Up but Can't Locate Red Tek r-12a |
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a 30lb cylinder of 134a use to run me about 100 bux. it's now 500
all i can say is good luck. not only is there a "shortage" but the current admin... ah, forget it. this will get locked if i go any further
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 24407
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2022 3:46 pm Post subject: Re: AC Season Coming Up, Can't Locate Red Tek R-12a |
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If you huddle over to the dumba$$$$ at Walmart the MBA geniuses haven’t marked up their inventory to market price and are still selling at 1 cent per gram near us.
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Tobias Duncan
Samba Member
Joined: January 15, 2013
Posts: 1413
Location: Taos NM
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| Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2022 4:01 pm Post subject: Re: AC Season Coming Up, Can't Locate Red Tek R-12a |
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Sooooo...... I should start hoarding 134a?
Let me see if there is enough room next to last years toilet paper |
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dobryan 
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 17312
Location: Brookeville, MD
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Ahwahnee
Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2010
Posts: 10305
Location: Mt Lemmon, AZ
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| Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2022 4:49 pm Post subject: Re: AC Season Coming Up, Can't Locate Red Tek R-12a |
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| VWagabond wrote: |
| ...am having problems finding some place to buy it... |
Have you checked eBay? I don't know the usual price for that stuff so I also don't know if eBay is a good deal.
Meanwhile -- a full charge with R12 still costs less than a tank of gas.
Also meanwhile - an ASE609 Cert is pretty easy to get and (looking at mine) does not expire. |
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Howesight
Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2008
Posts: 3426
Location: Vancouver, B.C.
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| Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2022 7:58 pm Post subject: Re: AC Season Coming Up, Can't Locate Red Tek R-12a |
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This is the one product that’s easier to purchase here in Canada. Every FLAPS up here sells Redtek to anyone, but no FLAPS sells R-134A to the public. Next time you venture up here, grab a few cans.
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 17312
Location: Brookeville, MD
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Howesight
Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2008
Posts: 3426
Location: Vancouver, B.C.
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2022 12:27 am Post subject: Re: AC Season Coming Up, Can't Locate Red Tek R-12a |
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That links shows Red Tek at $89.95 USD for three cans. Hmmm $30.00 a can?
My local FLAPS sells it to me (I have an account) for CAD $9.00 a can.
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 17312
Location: Brookeville, MD
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2022 5:19 am Post subject: Re: AC Season Coming Up, Can't Locate Red Tek R-12a |
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| Howesight wrote: |
That links shows Red Tek at $89.95 USD for three cans. Hmmm $30.00 a can?
My local FLAPS sells it to me (I have an account) for CAD $9.00 a can. |
I agree that is expensive and there may be cheaper places (likely are) but at least it shows that Red Tek is available. The OP said he was having trouble finding any.
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2010 Subaru EJ25 (Vanaru) and Peloquin TBD
"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson
MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646
Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371
The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794 |
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VWagabond
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2011
Posts: 277
Location: Charlotte, NC
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2022 8:57 am Post subject: Re: AC Season Coming Up, Can't Locate Red Tek R-12a |
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Thanks for the response guys. I followed the Walmart link and see that it is 2 cans of charge, 1 can of sealer and a gauge. Don't need the gauge as I have a Robinair manifold gauge set and I have a can of pro seal so for 2 cans of r12a at $90 it doesn't look appealing although it is a source if nothing else comes up. I did a search for Envirotech but was unable to find refrigerant...Dave if you can send a link to what you might have found I'd appreciate it. I have sent a message to Red-Tek to be contacted by a sales rep so we'll see what that brings. Last but not least, if North Carolina were close to the Canadian border then I'd be right over to buy it there...really, I'd like to visit Canada again as it's been over 40 years since my last visit and I loved it.
Thanks again guys but still searching.
Tom
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dart330
Samba Member
Joined: July 19, 2004
Posts: 477
Location: Houston, TX
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2022 4:38 pm Post subject: Re: AC Season Coming Up, Can't Locate Red Tek R-12a |
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I got my EPA609 certification this week as I want to be able to buy refrigerant in the future, certification never expires.
It is $20 to take the open book exam. All the test questions are in the free study guide. No reason not to get it if you work on your own AC.
https://www.escogroup.org/training/epa609.aspx
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Driving a 90 Carat since 2014
Previous Buses: 59 Westy, 60 Westy, 74 Bus, 82 Westy, 85 Westy, 87 Syncro
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VWagabond
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2011
Posts: 277
Location: Charlotte, NC
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2022 7:10 pm Post subject: Re: AC Season Coming Up, Can't Locate Red Tek R-12a |
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Thanks, I'll look into it. If it's as easy as the one I took in 1996 then it's easy pizzy.
Tom
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12177
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2022 9:47 pm Post subject: Re: AC Season Coming Up, Can't Locate Red Tek R-12a |
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Propane and isobutane are still relatively cheap at your local camping establishment. Same basic ingredients as found in Red Tek and most other hydrocarbon refrigerants.
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'89 Bluestar ALH
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SLOWoody
Samba Member
Joined: January 28, 2023
Posts: 126
Location: SLO, CA
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| Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2024 10:40 pm Post subject: Re: AC Season Coming Up, Can't Locate Red Tek R-12a |
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Does anyone know if this REDTEK A/C Refrigerant in the above link dobryan posted the same as REDTEK 12a. When I look at the REDTEK site, their cans say REDTEK 12a and are different then the cans from the Walmart link above.
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snuf
Samba Member
Joined: April 15, 2008
Posts: 261
Location: TN
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| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2024 7:15 am Post subject: Re: AC Season Coming Up, Can't Locate Red Tek R-12a |
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The cans I have that were purchased directly from REDTEK in TN,USA a while ago have REDTEK 12a on label.
Not sure if the REDTEK A/C is the same. Amazon also has REDTEK A/C shown on label. It could just be a redesign of the label.
You should contact REDTEK directly to affirm if there are any differences.
USA - https://redtek.com/contact/
Canada - https://redtek.ca/contact-us/
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shagginwagon83
Samba Member
Joined: February 07, 2016
Posts: 4405
Location: SWVA
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| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2024 2:16 pm Post subject: Re: AC Season Coming Up, Can't Locate Red Tek R-12a |
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/222653999610?mkcid=16&...media=COPY
I bought this. I don’t think it had r12a on the label. I went through the same thing and I believe it was a marketing move to remove the r12a part.
I personally say better results with r134a. I kinda wish I didn’t invest in a whole case but I guess pros is it is really good for the environment - instead of paying someone to extract the 134a.
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kourt
Samba Member
Joined: August 13, 2013
Posts: 2404
Location: Austin, TX
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| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2024 3:00 pm Post subject: Re: AC Season Coming Up, Can't Locate Red Tek R-12a |
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I used RedTek in a Volvo 240 and my Vanagon for a few years before learning that it is not a very good performer at extreme temperatures. When I finally surrendered to using R134a (following a flush, and change of all o-rings) I realized that R134a was the way to go. Not happy about the environmental consequences, but I am doing my best to maintain leak-free systems, which is how it should be.
kourt |
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11BC2
Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2017
Posts: 496
Location: Cool, California
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| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2024 4:40 pm Post subject: Re: AC Season Coming Up, Can't Locate Red Tek R-12a |
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| kourt wrote: |
I used RedTek in a Volvo 240 and my Vanagon for a few years before learning that it is not a very good performer at extreme temperatures. When I finally surrendered to using R134a (following a flush, and change of all o-rings) I realized that R134a was the way to go. Not happy about the environmental consequences, but I am doing my best to maintain leak-free systems, which is how it should be.
kourt |
Why not change to r1234yf? |
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