JJI>Secondly.. I have received information from several underground sources
JJI>that propane is actually a much higher performing refrigerant than
JJI>freon. A large buss firm in Florida experimented with different
JJI>Word has it, that propane actually is about twice as effecient. There
  Nope, it's no more efficient than\n Freon, but it's LOTS cheaper for
sure!
   Propane was (and is) commonly used in some industrial plants, notably
oil refinerys for refrigeration where the added fire hazard does not
matter very much.
   Propane is a fairly direct replacement for Freon 12, and is generally
compatible with most refrigerant oils and systems designed for R-12.  If
my rusty old memory serves correctly, R-12 was originally designed to
replace Propane because of the flammability of Propane.  A check of the
pressure-temperature charts in an air conditioning handbook will reveal
that indeed, the curves match over the greater portions of the
temperature range in which these refrigerants are usable.
   Propane is commonly used (in some states) as a replacement for R-12
in auto A/C systems, and it works very well.  Note that state law may
make it illegal to use Propane as a refrigerant in vehicles - be sure to
check your state laws on this if you plan to use Propane in your car.
JJI>redialy available etc.  The question of fire hazards come to mind, but
JJI>propane is used in most homes in heating and cooking, and
JJI>airconditioning would pose no more danger the the other home uses it is
JJI>already enployed for. Also only a few ounces are used in the average
JJI>system.. so once it is expended there is no more fule for a flame,
  Vehicular A/C systems can use several pounds of refrigerant - not
just a few ounces.   Propane vapor ignites quite readily.  Should a leak
develop in the evaporator of the system, it is possible to have the
vehicles interior fill with vaporized Propane.  Something as simple as
opening the car door and creating a slight spark at the dome light
switch could set off a serious explosion. Leaks under the hood would
dissipate rather rapidly, of course.
   From a common sense view, any system charged with Propane MUST be
marked with a plainly visible warning tag or label so that some service
person does not become a victim of a fire or explosion.
  Additionally, there is the legal problem of mixing refrigerants.  If a
system is services, the refrigerant must be recycled, and contaminated
refrigerant can cause thousands of $$ damage to the recycling equipment.
 If you do use Propane in your vehicle system, be sure to warn the
mechanic should you ever have your car serviced for anything which might
involve working on the A/C system.
   Note that all the above applies to the use of propane in vehicles;
your home DC system you mentioned is a different story, just play it
safe. Think of Propane as extremely rapidly evaporating gasoline - and
just as flammable, if not more so!
   Ralph
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