You might not think a lot about how your air conditioner works, but it relies on refrigerant to keep your home fresh. This refrigerant is subject to environmental laws, because of the chemicals it contains.

Depending on when your air conditioner was added to your home, it may require R-22, R-410A or R-32 refrigerant. We’ll go over the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Reinholds, as well as how these phaseouts impact you.

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

If your air conditioner was put in before 2010, it possibly has Freon®. You can learn if your air conditioner contains it by reaching us at 717-216-0846. You can also examine the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is situated outside your residence. This sticker will include info on what kind of refrigerant your AC uses.

Freon, which is also referred to as R-22, has chlorine. Scientists consider R-22 to be damaging to the earth’s ozone layer and one that contributes to global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which controls 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 differs. If your air conditioning is operating fine, you can continue to keep it. With regular air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your air conditioning to run around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy says that replacing a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on annual cooling costs!

If you don’t install a new air conditioner, it can cause a problem if you have to have air conditioning repair in the future, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs can be pricier, as only small quantities of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is on hand.

With the end of R-22, a lot of new air conditioners now have Puron®. Also called R-410A, this refrigerant was created to keep the ozone layer strong. Since it requires a different pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that rely on R-22 for cooling.

However, Puron still has the potential to contribute to global warming. Because of that, it may also sometime be ended. 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 discontinuation, some manufacturers have begun using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant rates low for global warming likelihood—approximately one-third less than R-410A. And it also decreases energy use by about 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.

County Line Mechanical LLC Can Help with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In summary, the changes to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t affect you greatly until you require repairs. But as we talked about beforehand, repairs connected to refrigerant may be more costly because of the low levels that are accessible.

Not to mention, your air conditioner often breaks down at the worst time, typically on the hottest day when we’re receiving lots of other requests for AC repair.

If your air conditioner requires a phased out refrigerant or is more than 15 years old, we advise upgrading to a modern, energy-efficient air conditioner. This ensures a hassle-free summer and might even decrease your utility bills, especially if you get an ENERGY STAR®-rated system. Plus, County Line Mechanical LLC provides many financing solutions to make your new air conditioner even more affordable. Contact us at 717-216-0846 to start now with a free estimate.