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

Depending on when your air conditioner was added to your home, it may require R-22, R-410A or R-32 refrigerant. We’ll discuss the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Troy, plus 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 possibly uses Freon®. You can discover if your air conditioner uses it by reaching us at 937-558-9478. You can also inspect the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is situated outside your house. This sticker will have details on what kind of refrigerant your AC needs.

Freon, which is also referred to as R-22, has chlorine. Scientists consider Freon to be bad for the earth’s ozone layer and one that prompts global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which controls refrigerants in the United States, outlawed its production and import in January 2020.

Should I Replace My R-22 Air Conditioner?

It varies. If your air conditioning is running as designed, you can continue to use it. With regular air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your system to run around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy says that removing a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on yearly cooling bills!

If you don’t install a new air conditioner, it may cause a problem if you need air conditioning repair later on, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs may be more expensive, because only small amounts of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is on hand.

With the discontinuation of R-22, a lot of new air conditioners now use Puron®. Also referred to as R-410A, this refrigerant was created to keep the ozone layer healthy. As it requires a different pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that rely on R-22 for cooling.

However, Puron still has the possibility to create global warming. As a consequence, it may also ultimately be phased out. Although it hasn’t been disclosed yet for residential air conditioners, it’s expected sometime this decade.

What Refrigerant Will Replace R-410A?

In preparation of the discontinuation, some companies have begun 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 decreases energy consumption by approximately 10%, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. That’s savings that may be passed on to you through your energy bills.

Edington Heating & Cooling Inc Can Help with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In brief, the alterations to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t concern you greatly until you require repairs. But as we discussed earlier, refrigerant repairs can be more costly since there are the restricted amounts available.

In addition to that, your air conditioner frequently malfunctions at the worst time, frequently on the warmest day when we’re experiencing lots of other requests for AC repair.

If your air conditioner relies on a phased out refrigerant or is aging, we suggest getting a new, energy-efficient air conditioner. This provides a stress-free summer and can even reduce your cooling expenses, especially if you choose an ENERGY STAR®-rated model. Plus, Edington Heating & Cooling Inc offers many financing programs to make your new air conditioner even more affordable. Contact us at 937-558-9478 to begin today with a free estimate.