Besides R134a there are some other refrigerants that are “approved” to replace R12 and there is a long list of refrigerants that are “not approved”. The approval is very legal one, governed by the U.S. EPA. Failure to abide by the EPA regulations can result in expensive fines for either you or your service technician. Approved list The problem with using an approved alternative refrigerants other than R134a is that when the system is serviced it requires certain types of fittings, labels and dedicated equipment. For instance you can evacuate FRIGC FR-12 into a refrigerant recovery bottle that has R134a in it or visa versa. This would become an expensive investment for a repair or service station to have unique dedicated equipment for every type of alternative refrigerant. Non approved list We consider the the various types alternative refrigerants that are illegal or not approved to be in two sectors: non-flammables and flammables. The non-flammables can have R22 type gas which is not compatible with most rubber hoses or they have gases that contribute to global warming. The flammables have hydrocarbons.