Safety

Several precautions need to be observed when working on automotive air conditoning systems:

^ Always wear eye protection and gloves while handling refrigerant or servicing air conditioning systems.

^ Avoid breathing R-134a and lubricant vapor or mist. Exposure may irritate eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. Use only approved service equipment to discharge A/C systems. If accidental system discharge occurs, ventilate work area before resuming service.

^ If refrigerant or compressor oil contacts the skin or eyes, large quantities of cool water should be used to flush the affected area.

^ Never heat a refrigerant container with an open flame. Keep all refrigerant away from open flames, since burning refrigerant can produce poisonous gas.

^ Under no circumstances should R-134a service equipment or vehicle A/C systems be pressure tested with air/R-134a mixtures. Some mixtures of air and R-134a have been shown to be combustible at elevated pressures. The use of compressed air (shop air) for leak detection in R-134a systems could result in fire or explosion causing injury or property damage. In addition, introducing compressed air into A/C systems or components contaminates the system and/or refrigerant with moisture.

Obtain and use the correct type of refrigerant recovery/recycling machine. Follow the directions included in the machine's instruction manual.