Source for R12 refrigerant?

[HayekFan]

R12 had been abundant on eBay until as recently as a few months ago but I checked today and there's literally none for sale. Looks like eBay has changed its policy. Does anyone know of an alternative source for R12?

[LeiseyJr]

I buy it off craigslist or Facebook Marketplace

[gadget73]

I think they pulled all the refrigerant that requires a license to buy. Probably being leaned on by the EPA since they require anyone purchasing the stuff to be certified in handling procedures.

[HayekFan]

Thanks, looks like there's some locally on Craigslist.

Turns out eBay did indeed pull all refrigerant requiring a license. They made the change this past January.

[gadget73]

I kind of remember this coming up on another forum and I'm pretty sure tin foil sales went up based on the posts. People who don't even have cars that require R12 were flipping about it, and the people who have been buying it without the required license for 30 years at this point were losing their minds. Honestly I'm amazed it went on for as long as it did.

[Mike W.]

I thought ebay did require a license to buy it. Maybe they just said you needed it but there was no verification.

[Hit Man X]

I buy it off craigslist or Facebook Marketplace

Or swindle me out of cans for fuses.



Besides, the 609 EPA license is a joke. It is open book, had mine for 20 years or more. Check Nextdoor too. I scored about 45lb for $500 last winter. Now have 70ish pounds, plenty for me.

[missmye21]

Yes, eBay's sales made a mockery of the certification requirement and skirted the EPA regs (aka the law.)

Getting the certification ain't all that tough, but it was at least a low bar to keep a lot of the hacks from getting access to ozone depleting refrigerants. And it was less easy to just keep topping off a leaking system.

To buy on eBay, you only had to claim that you had the certification (608/609) OR you had to check a box that stated you were just buying it to re-sell it! And you could get ozone depleting cans of R22 freon in as small as 2 lbs only last year so you could top off your leaky home system annually like we used to do for our cars back when the e28 was relatively new (and you would discard into the atmosphere the portion that you didn't use because you do not own the expensive tools to recycle it.) This isn't good for the planet. The Montreal Protocols (1994 IIRC) were intended to save us from stratospheric ozone depletion and cancer. Remember the Ozone Hole? That was real enough that they didn't even get into global warming.

Professional HVAC techs (techs with the EPA certification) buy cans of R22 at 30 or 50 pounds. They have the tools and knowledge to dispense the proper amount, without discharges into the atmosphere. They can reclaim freon to be recycled. All Freon is pricey now. Pre-covid a 25 pound can of R410a cost $140. It was $430 last I checked. R22 Pre-covid was $430 for a 30 pound can. It was $1200 at last check (and has been much higher.)

R12 is older, more rare.

[gadget73]

R12 is older, but probably in less demand than R22. Not all that much still running R12 these days.

Guy at the auto parts store told me it requires the EPA cert to buy R134a in the 30lb can now, but still legal to buy in the 12 ounce can with no license. Haven't looked into any pending legislation or proposed legislation but I wouldn't be surprised if that changed as R134a begins to be phased out.

[1st 5er]

Ice fans are the future.
Just gotta figure out how to make ice w/o refrigerant.

[gadget73]

ammonia or propane.

[Hit Man X]

$11/lb for R12 is about right. 134A tank I purchased last was around $400 OTD. Retail for that is about $13/lb.

We all know the patent expired for 12, it was not the ozone layer that pushed us to 134 now 1234yf.

[Zeta]

Thanks, looks like there's some locally on Craigslist.

Turns out eBay did indeed pull all refrigerant requiring a license. They made the change this past January.

If you (or anyone) still need some, I have several cans I bought years ago before I decided to convert my car to 134a.