R-12 belongs to which family of refrigerants?
R-12 is a CFC. It is the same refrigerant as CFC-12, a chlorofluorocarbon made of chlorine, fluorine and carbon, with no hydrogen.
- CFCCorrect answer
- HFC
- HCFC
- HFO
Why “CFC” is correct
R-12 is a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC): it contains chlorine, fluorine and carbon and no hydrogen. CFCs such as R-11 and R-12 have the highest ozone depletion potential of the common refrigerants.
Source: EPA: Test Topics
Why the other answers are wrong
- HFC — HFCs such as R-134a replaced R-12; they contain no chlorine.
- HCFC — R-22 is the classic HCFC; R-12 has no hydrogen in it.
- HFO — HFOs are newer low-GWP substitutes, not the older refrigerant R-12.
The source, word for word
not chemical formulas, but idea that R-12 is a CFC, R-22 is an HCFC, R-134 is an HFC, etc.
A compound consisting of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon.
Common refrigerants by family
EPA's outline says you need to know which family a refrigerant belongs to, not its chemical formula.
| Family | Examples | Contains chlorine |
|---|---|---|
| CFC | R-11, R-12 | Yes |
| HCFC | R-22 | Yes |
| HFC | R-134a | No |
| HFO | R-1234yf | No |
Why the family matters
The family tells you about ozone: CFCs have the highest ozone depletion potential, then HCFCs, and HFCs have none. It does not tell you whether you can vent, because all three must be recovered.
Keep practicing
- Refrigerant types: CFC, HCFC, HFC and HFO
- What CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs have in common
- Which element destroys ozone
- What is true of HFO refrigerants
- EPA 608 Core practice test
Unofficial, not affiliated with the EPA or any EPA-approved certifying organization. Questions are original practice written from public EPA material, not real exam questions.