You might not think much about how your air conditioner functions, but it needs refrigerant to keep your home cool. This refrigerant is controlled by environmental regulation, as it contains chemicals.
Subject to when your air conditioner was added to your home, it may need R-22, R-410A or R-32 refrigerant. We’ll discuss the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Tucker, plus how these phaseouts have on influence on you.
What’s R-22 and Why is It Phased Out?
If your air conditioner was added before 2010, it possibly has Freon®. You can discover if your air conditioner has it by reaching us at 770-450-1539. You can also look at the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is located outside your home. This sticker will include details on what kind of refrigerant your AC needs.
Freon, which is also called R-22, has chlorine. Scientists consider R-22 to be damaging to the earth’s ozone layer and one that prompts global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which manages refrigerants in the United States, barred its creation 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 cooling as designed, you can continue to run it. With routine air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your system to operate around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy reports 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 can cause difficulties if you need air conditioning repair down the road, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs could be more expensive, since only small quantities of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is available.
With the phaseout of R-22, many new air conditioners now rely on Puron®. Also called R-410A, this refrigerant was created to keep the ozone layer strong. Because it needs an incompatible pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that need R-22 for cooling.
However, Puron still has the likelihood to create global warming. As a consequence, it might also ultimately be phased out. Although it hasn’t been communicated yet for residential air conditioners, it’s likely sometime this decade.
What Refrigerant Will Take Over R-410A?
In preparation of the end, some brands have started using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant ranks low for global warming likelihood—around one-third less than R-410A. And it also reduces energy expenditure by around 10%, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. That’s savings that could be sent on to you through your energy costs.
ACS Heating and Air Conditioning Can Help with All Your Air Conditioning Needs
In brief, the alterations to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t impact you greatly until you require repairs. But as we went over earlier, refrigerant-related repairs might be more costly because of the restricted amounts available.
In addition to that, your air conditioner frequently needs repair at the worst time, typically on the muggiest day when we’re experiencing a lot of other appointments for AC repair.
If your air conditioner relies on a discontinued refrigerant or is aging, we advise upgrading to a new, energy-efficient air conditioner. This provides a trouble-free summer and may even reduce your energy bills, especially if you choose an ENERGY STAR®-rated model. Plus, ACS Heating and Air Conditioning offers many financing options to make your new air conditioner fit your budget. Contact us at 770-450-1539 to get started today with a free estimate.