Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Asked on September 16, 2020
I’m looking to buy a small portable refrigerator to take with me on camping trips, and I’ve found one that is designed to plug into automotive power systems and can (presumably) handle the vibrations and such of road travel.
My question is, if the worst-case failure scenario happens and all the refrigerant vents out, will it pose a danger to anyone inside the vehicle? Note that I’m talking about a minivan here, not a large RV with a large volume of air inside.
Most refrigerants, especially (chloro)fluorocarbons, are not toxic per se. @Moab: R-134a also is not toxic, but it is banned since it's a strong greenhouse gas.
Propane makes a not so bad refrigerant and is not toxic. But it burns good.
CO2 is not a good refrigerant, but it does not burn and is not such a strong greenhouse gas. Since car ACs always leak a litte, and efficiency is not that important, CO2 is an alternative to other refrigerants in cars, only. CO2 is not a poison, but the human body needs almost CO2-free air to get rid of its own CO2, which is why a few percent CO2 in air are toxic.
In big, industrial freezing applicances, ammonia is sometimes used. This is toxic.
Finally, one hazard of any non-toxic gas is suffogation when it displaces most of the air in small rooms.
But a small refrigerator does not contain that much refrigerant. A deodorant spray contains more gas (btw. propane/butane).
Answered by sweber on September 16, 2020
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