AC Removal Help
Technically it's supposed to be evacuated by a certified shop. R-12 is nasty stuff. !!
No, R12 is not "nasty" unless it is run through a fire, such as brazing/ repairing A/C refrigeration tubing. R12/22/500/502 the old "banned" ozoneish refrigerants, are fairly harmless if you "get a whiff"
"Dustoff" and other pressurized computer "air blower" cans contain R12 many of them, to this day. Which should tell you something about "how serious" the so called ozone thing "is" --n't...............
Chemicals similar to R12 are in various brakeclean/ parts clean/ electromotive clean/ tuner cldeaner. There are many posts about welders using these products to clean up before welding and then getting a nasty whiff of phosgene when firing up the welder
The big danger to humans of such chemicals as R12 is if you "let's say" get a bad leak in a basement, such as a bunch of cooler condensing units in a tiny basement under a 100 year old bar (Old part of Spokane I speak from experience) The unit had been leaking, the owner had added refrigerant, and HAD LEFT THE CAN CONNECTED TO THE MANIFOLD and connected to the unit. My partner and I started down the stairs, me first, and I began to feel "woozy." You don't smell much of anything unusual. Refrigerant is not generally poisonous like CO is. But IT DOES DISPLACE oxygen in the air, and what you breath in then, is not providing you with O2
There are (old) refrigerants that ARE nasty and toxic. Ammonia, methyl chloride, and sulfur dioxide. On ammonia, industrial systems, is still used to day so far's I know
