You might not think often about how your air conditioner operates, but it relies on refrigerant to keep your home fresh. This refrigerant is controlled by environmental laws, as it contains chemicals.
Based on when your air conditioner was installed, it may use R-22, R-410A or R-32 refrigerant. We’ll review the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Athol, plus how these phaseouts impact you.
What’s R-22 and Why Is It No Longer Being Made?
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably has Freon®. You can learn if your air conditioner has it by calling us at 208-561-1226. You can also inspect the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is situated outside your residence. This sticker will contain info on what type of refrigerant your AC has.
Freon, which is also referred to as R-22, contains chlorine. Scientists consider R-22 to be damaging to the earth’s ozone layer and one that results in global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which manages refrigerants in the United States, banned its production and import in January 2020.
I Use an Air Conditioner with R-22. Do I Need to Get a New One?
It depends. If your air conditioning is running fine, you can continue to keep it. With regular air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your AC to operate around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy notes that substituting a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on summertime cooling expenses!
If you don’t get a new air conditioner, it might cause a problem if you need air conditioning repair later on, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs can be more expensive, since only reduced levels of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is accessible.
With the end of R-22, many new air conditioners now rely on Puron®. Also known as R-410A, this refrigerant was created to keep the ozone layer strong. Since it calls for a varying pressure level, it isn’t compatible with air conditioners that rely on R-22 for cooling.
However, Puron still has the potential to create global warming. As a result, it might also ultimately be phased out. Although it hasn’t been mandated yet for residential air conditioners, it’s anticipated sometime this decade.
What Refrigerant Will Take the Place of R-410A?
In preparation of the end, some companies have initiated using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant ranks low for global warming possibility—around one-third less than R-410A. And it also lowers energy consumption by approximately 10%, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. That’s savings that could be passed on to you through your cooling costs.
Alpine Summit Heating & Cooling Can Provide Support with All Your Air Conditioning Needs
In summary, the changes to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t impact you a whole lot until you need repairs. But as we went over previously, repairs connected to refrigerant may be more expensive because of the low quantities that are accessible.
In addition to that, your air conditioner typically malfunctions at the worst time, typically on the hottest day when we’re experiencing a lot of other requests for AC repair.
If your air conditioner relies on a discontinued refrigerant or is more than 15 years old, we suggest getting an up-to-date, energy-efficient air conditioner. This ensures a hassle-free summer and might even lower your utility bills, especially if you select an ENERGY STAR®-rated model. Plus, Alpine Summit Heating & Cooling has many financing programs to make your new air conditioner work with your budget. Contact us at 208-561-1226 to begin now with a free estimate.
