Freon Costs Have Drivers, Shops In Lather Recharging Auto Air Conditioners May Cost $80, May Cost $800

FOR THE RECORD: July 1, 1995: Recharging automobile air conditioners costs about $80. A higher figure in a Wednesday headline referred to replacement costs.

As the cost of air-conditioner coolant soars, consumers and mechanics are starting to sweat.

Drivers may pay as much as $80 to have their air conditioners recharged. If the unit needs to be converted for new, environmentally friendly coolants, the price rises to $800. Many would rather swelter, making business cool off at some repair shops.

Worried about the ozone layer, Congress voted in 1992 to phase out chlorofluorocarbons by 1996. As the deadline looms, drivers are faced with skyrocketing prices of the most common CFC, R12 Freon.

The last day for production of R12, a known pollutant used primarily in automobile air conditioners and highrise office buildings, is Jan. 1, 1996.

“About the only people you see paying more are the people going on vacation with a carload of kids,” said Bruce Steeve, owner of Joe & Les’ Auto Electric, 3127 E. Garnet. The shop has lost about 10 percent of summer business because of the price increase.

The retail price of R12 has spiked to about $20 per pound from less than $2 six years ago.

The spiraling price has created a black market of unregulated or stockpiled R12, the Better Business Bureau warns. In a recent news release, the BBB cautioned drivers that underground R12 is often a lowquality refrigerant that could ruin a car’s air-conditioning system.

With a 9-month-old baby she totes on errands, Janet Cabilter of Spokane says she has no choice but to pay for coolant.

“With the baby, air conditioning is a necessity just driving to the grocery store. If it goes out, I don’t think I’d last too long,” said Cabilter, who drives an ‘87 Dodge van.

Cabilter may face costly recharges, but when the van dies and she replaces it with a new model, she won’t have troubles. Most vehicles made after 1993 have air conditioners that use federally approved R134a Freon. By the 1996 model year, all vehicle air conditioners must meet the new standards.

After Jan. 1, mechanics who haven’t stockpiled R12 will not be able to recharge cars with old air conditioners. Instead, they must perform an $800 installation of an R134a system.

Conversion is difficult because retrofit kits are often unavailable from dealers and do not fit every model. Many older cars need new compressors, hoses and other pricey parts. About half of all cars cannot be converted, mechanics say.

Allan Walker of Spokane speaks for many drivers who refuse to pay more for coolant. In fact, Walker said he’s glad the government is terminating R12 production.

“It’s just another luxury that we could all do without. It’s overkill and it pollutes the environment,” said Walker, who rolls down all the windows in his used Bronco.

But the potential lack of business doesn’t have mechanics overheated yet. Many say they are glad to comply with new restrictions for the sake of the environment.

Most have never relied on air conditioning as their flagship service because it’s only in demand for about three months here.

Others say the demand for air conditioning is relatively elastic.

Some people would spend any amount of money to have a cool commute, especially professionals who dislike sweating in starched shirts or silk dresses, garage owners said.

“You just get people sucking their breath in a bit more when I tell them how much it will cost,” said Bruce Kincaid, owner of Auto Specialty Center, 3118 E. Gordon.

“Once the heat gets up to a certain point, people just want to be cool.”

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: FREON FACTS Most automobiles made after 1994 and about half of 1993 models have air-conditioning systems that use the new approved refrigerants. Mechanics recommend recharging air-conditioning systems every two years. Most central air-conditioning units in homes use Freon R22, which is not affected by the ban. Sun-soaked Arizona passed a bill legalizing Freon and other CFCs after the federal ban takes effect.