How Does Air Conditioning Refrigerant Phaseout Affect Me?

You might not think often about how your air conditioner operates, but it relies on refrigerant to keep your house cool. This refrigerant is controlled by environmental rules, since it contains chemicals.

Depending on when your air conditioner was added to your home, 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 Libertyville, in addition to how these phaseouts affect you.

What’s R-22 and Why Is It No Longer Being Made?

If your air conditioner was added before 2010, it probably contains Freon®. You can discover if your air conditioner contains it by calling us at 847-362-0262. You can also look at the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is situated outside your house. This sticker will include information on what type of refrigerant your AC has.

Freon, which is also referred to as R-22, includes chlorine. Scientists consider R-22 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, banned 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 operating properly, you can continue to use it. With regular air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your air conditioning to work around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy says 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 may lead to an issue if you require air conditioning repair later on, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs can be higher-priced, since only limited quantities of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is on hand.

With the phaseout of R-22, a lot of new air conditioners now use Puron®. Also known as R-410A, this refrigerant was made to keep the ozone layer strong. Since it needs a varying pressure level, it doesn’t work with air conditioners that rely on R-22 for cooling.

However, Puron still has the likelihood to lead to global warming. Because of that, it might also ultimately be discontinued. Although it hasn’t been mandated yet for residential air conditioners, it’s likely sometime this decade.

What Refrigerant Will Replace R-410A?

In preparation of the end, some manufacturers have initiated using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant rates low for global warming possibility—around one-third less than R-410A. And it also lowers energy consumption by around 10%, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. That’s savings that might be sent on to you through your cooling bills.

TopTec Can Provide Support with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In summary, the alterations to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t concern you greatly until you have to have repairs. But as we talked about earlier, refrigerant-related repairs might be more costly due to the restricted amounts available.

In addition to that, your air conditioner usually stops working at the worst time, typically on the muggiest day when we’re getting lots of other calls for AC repair.

If your air conditioner uses a discontinued refrigerant or is getting old, we advise installing an up-to-date, energy-efficient air conditioner. This delivers a stress-free summer and can even lower your cooling costs, especially if you select an ENERGY STAR®-rated air conditioner. Plus, TopTec offers many financing options to make your new air conditioner work with your budget. Contact us at 847-362-0262 to start right away with a free estimate.