You might not think a lot about how your air conditioner operates, but it needs refrigerant to keep your residence fresh. This refrigerant is subject to environmental laws, as it contains chemicals.
Subject to when your air conditioner was put in, 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 Tucker, plus how these phaseouts have on influence on you.
What’s R-22 and Why Is It No Longer Being Made?
If your air conditioner was put in before 2010, it possibly contains Freon®. You can learn if your air conditioner contains it by calling us at 770-450-1539. You can also look at the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is situated outside your house. This sticker will contain details on what type of refrigerant your AC has.
Freon, which is also called R-22, includes chlorine. Scientists consider this chemical to be harmful to the earth’s ozone layer and one that leads to global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which controls refrigerants in the United States, outlawed its creation and import in January 2020.
Should I Replace My R-22 Air Conditioner?
It depends. If your air conditioning is operating as designed, you can continue to run it. With regular air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your AC to operate around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy notes that removing a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on summertime cooling bills!
If you don’t install a new air conditioner, it might create an issue if you require air conditioning repair later on, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs may be more expensive, since only small quantities of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is available.
With the phaseout of R-22, most new air conditioners now have Puron®. Also known as R-410A, this refrigerant was created to keep the ozone layer healthy. As it needs a different pressure level, it isn’t compatible with air conditioners that need R-22 for cooling.
However, Puron still has the potential to lead to global warming. Because of that, it might also sometime 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 phaseout, some manufacturers have initiated using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant is classified low for global warming potential—about one-third less than R-410A. And it also lowers energy use 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 utility costs.
ACS Heating and Air Conditioning Can Provide Support with All Your Air Conditioning Needs
In short, the modifications to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t affect you a whole lot until you have to have repairs. But as we talked about beforehand, refrigerant repairs may be more expensive because of the restricted quantities available.
Not to mention, your air conditioner typically breaks down at the worst time, often on the hottest day when we’re getting lots of other appointments for AC repair.
If your air conditioner requires a phased out refrigerant or is aging, we advise installing an up-to-date, energy-efficient air conditioner. This ensures a hassle-free summer and can even decrease your electrical bills, especially if you select an ENERGY STAR®-rated air conditioner. Plus, ACS Heating and Air Conditioning offers many financing programs to make your new air conditioner work with your budget. Contact us at 770-450-1539 to start right away with a free estimate.
