Refrigerant Hunters

We can’t just post pictures of tanks all of the time. Today we had some extra help in the warehouse from these apprentice shop dogs.

We're all set up in a new warehouse and back to pumping gas! The R12 is pumped from the single-use tanks to a large refrigerant reclaim tank for safer storage. We pull the single-use tank down to a vacuum to make sure we've captured all of the R12, then we unhook the empty tank, normalize the pressure, and drill holes into the tank so it's ready to be sent to a local metal recycler.

DETERMINING HOW MUCH R12 YOU HAVE

When it comes to determining how much refrigerant you have in your tank, three terms are often used: Gross Weight (GW), Tare Weight (TW), and Net Weight(NW).

Here's an explanation of each, and an example of how to determine how much refrigerant you have.

Gross Weight (GW): The total weight of tank and the refrigerant contained within it. This will be the weight on the scale when you weigh the tank.

Tare Weight (TW): Tare weight refers to the weight of the empty refrigerant tank without any refrigerant inside. It includes the weight of the tank itself, valve, and any other components attached to it. Tare weight is important because it allows us to determine the weight of the actual refrigerant (Net Weight) in the tank.

Net Weight (NW): The weight of the refrigerant contained within the tank. Net Weight is calculated by subtracting the tare weight of the tank from the gross weight.

NW = GW - TW

To get a good estimate of how much gas you have, weigh the tank on a bathroom scale to determine Gross Weight (GW). Next, subtract the Tare Weight (TW) from Gross Weight to determine Net Weight (NW). The Net Weight is the amount of refrigerant you have.

For example, if you have a single use tank like this DuPont Freon 12 tank, and it weighs 28lbs on the scale, the Gross Weight (GW) is 28lbs. The Tare Weight (TW) of these tanks is 5lbs. Using the formula NW = GW - TW, the Net Weight of the R12 is 23lbs (ie. 28lbs - 5lbs = 23lbs).

If you've got R12 to sell, we want to buy it. Send us a picture of your tank(s) on a bathroom scale with the weight clearly visible, and your location in Canada, and we'll set up a purchase.