Any feild experience with R414B?

[Kyess]

 

 

 

 

 

Hey there !!

 

I was wondering if anyone in the forum has had any good or bad service experiences with R414B [iCOR Hot-Shot].

Can I use it to “top off” an undercharged R12 system without first recovering the entire remaining R12 charge, evacuating and then recharging with R414B? 

Does it have be charged as a liquid through the suction line using a restrictor or is vapor acceptable?

If it’s a true “drop-in” as the manufacture states, I will most definitely start using it.  I don’t really use much R-12 and was quoted a price for a replacement 30LB cylinder of reclaimed R12 in excess of $550.00. Needless to say, I almost soiled myself. Any experiences or info you could share would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Kyess

[Poobah]

I personally have never used Hot shot (414B) but I have talked to ones who have and they like it pretty good... I use (414a in the whirlpool box) which is almost the same makeup very little difference....when looking up the 414b at Marcone's site they have it converting over to the Whirlpool gas, I don't know what the deal is but they don't have any in stock show it discontinued....yes from all that I have gathered you can piggyback it no prob. if you already have an access valve....otherwise  vaccum and charge  (have to be politically correct)  I have used it for quite a few  years

I remember when they first came with it Whirlpool said you could use it in either 134a or r12 systems they have since backed down on the 134a as it is no longer proper to do so...

[Poobah]

Marco.e sells it for 241.00 a jug, the last I bought from Dayton App. they let me have for around 225.00....ast I saw of the Hot-Shot was about  $200 ish

[AccApp]

I used to top off R12 systems with it and never had a problem with it aside from the fact that a system that needs refrigerant is going to lose refrigerant and the leak rate is always unknown. I found that I was better off selling a complete repair or just taking my service charge and running from the cheapskates. Save your quickie big bucks jobs for WP couplings and oven ignitors, in the long run you are better off not being a "juicer". The callbacks will kill your profit.

Always charge this refrigerant as a liquid to the suction side. I use R414a as it is cheaper and I haven't really needed the universality of the "b". I can't justify throwing $250/25lb R414b in an R22 system when I get R22 for $55/30lb. I once charged a R134a system with hotshot as I was out of r134a and I haven't heard back three years later.

I have yet to hear a satisfactory explanation as to what the actual difference between R414a and R414b is.

[Poobah]

Your right on the money, legally you can't charge a system without first repairing the leak.  Problem is most people are cheap as you said and want it done because they don't want to spend the money, either to buy new or pay to fix the old. "Just go ahead and top it off for me this time to get me by."

[Poobah]

Have you ever used the Super Seal ACR?  Alittle pricy but I had a friend that had a 1986 ish Whirpool SxS that had a leak and  was going to buy new. We put it in his and it is still going a 8-10 months later.  Had been charging it about every 1-2 mo.

[Kyess]

Thanks to all for your replies, I appreciate the info.

 

I should explain that this is an older commercial R12 system where I can perform a pump down and isolate the leak. This is why I was asking about “topping off’ and piggybacking of refrigerants, not so I could do a half-assed “quickie repair”. At the moment, it appears to be only a small, recently developed leak and the system is still under pressure and operating fine, so it is unlikely that there is any contamination from non-condensables. It’s likely only going take a few pounds of additional refrigerant to bring it back to full charge after the repair is made. Since I don’t use very much R12 annually, I am looking for a less costly and more “environmentally friendly” alternative that has been proven through actual field use, not just going by what the manufacturer claims.

I know everyone in the HVACR field is in the same boat as far as alternative refrigerants and service procedures go, so was interested to see how they are dealing with this particular situation.

 

Again, thanks for all of your responses, very much appreciated.

Kyess

 

[bTW…this is an awesome forum, and website for that matter, glad I came across it.]

 

[Poobah]

No prob... the 414a  would be the way I went ,extremely cost effective....good luck...