You might not think much about how your air conditioner works, but it needs refrigerant to keep your home cold. This refrigerant is bound by environmental rules, since it contains chemicals.
Based on when your air conditioner was installed, it may require R-22, R-410A or R-32 refrigerant. We’ll review the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Safford, in addition to 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 likely contains Freon®. You can discover if your air conditioner contains it by calling us at 928-432-6018. You can also examine the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is situated outside your house. This sticker will have details on what type of refrigerant your AC uses.
Freon, which is also known as R-22, includes chlorine. Scientists consider Freon to be harmful to the earth’s ozone layer and one that results in global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which governs refrigerants in the United States, barred its manufacture and import in January 2020.
I Use an Air Conditioner with R-22. Do I Need to Get a New One?
It varies. If your air conditioning is running fine, you can continue to keep it. With annual air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your system to last around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy reports that removing a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on yearly cooling costs!
If you keep your air conditioner, it might create difficulties if you need air conditioning repair in the future, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs could be pricier, since only limited quantities of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is on hand.
With the phaseout of R-22, many new air conditioners now have Puron®. Also called R-410A, this refrigerant was made to keep the ozone layer healthy. As it requires an incompatible pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that use R-22 for cooling.
However, Puron still has the possibility to create global warming. Because of that, it might also sometime be phased out. Although it hasn’t been disclosed yet for residential air conditioners, it’s anticipated sometime this decade.
What Refrigerant Will Replace R-410A?
In preparation of the end, some companies have started using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant ranks low for global warming potential—approximately one-third less than R-410A. And it also lowers energy expenditure by around 10%, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. That’s savings that may be sent on to you through your cooling bills.
B&D Air Conditioning Can Provide Support with All Your Air Conditioning Needs
In summary, the alterations to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t concern you a whole lot until you require repairs. But as we mentioned earlier, refrigerant-related repairs can be more expensive since there are the reduced levels on hand.
Not to mention, your air conditioner frequently needs repair at the worst time, typically on the muggiest day when we’re experiencing lots of other requests for AC repair.
If your air conditioner uses a phased out refrigerant or is more than 15 years old, we recommend upgrading to a new, energy-efficient air conditioner. This delivers a trouble-free summer and might even reduce your energy bills, especially if you select an ENERGY STAR®-rated model. Plus, B&D Air Conditioning provides many financing solutions to make your new air conditioner even more affordable. Contact us at 928-432-6018 to begin right away with a free estimate.