You might not think much about how your air conditioner works, but it needs refrigerant to keep your house fresh. This refrigerant is controlled by environmental rules, because of the chemicals it contains.

Subject to when your air conditioner was installed, 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 Huntsville, in addition to how these phaseouts affect you.

What’s R-22 and Why Is It Discontinued?

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it possibly uses Freon®. You can find out if your air conditioner uses it by contacting us at 256-801-4701. You can also look at the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is situated outside your residence. This sticker will contain details on what kind of refrigerant your AC uses.

Freon, which is also referred to as 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 manages refrigerants in the United States, barred its production 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 running as designed, you can continue to run it. With routine air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your system to run around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy reports that removing a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on summertime cooling expenses!

If you don’t replace your air conditioner, it may cause difficulties if you have to have air conditioning repair down the road, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs may be pricier, because only limited levels of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is available.

With the phaseout of R-22, a lot of new air conditioners now have Puron®. Also known as R-410A, this refrigerant was created to keep the ozone layer strong. Because it requires a varying pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that use R-22 for cooling.

However, Puron still has the possibility to lead to global warming. Because of that, it may also sometime be discontinued. Although it hasn’t been communicated yet for residential air conditioners, it’s expected sometime this decade.

What Refrigerant Will Replace R-410A?

In preparation of the phaseout, some companies have initiated using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant rates low for global warming likelihood—around one-third less than R-410A. And it also decreases energy consumption by about 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 utility expenses.

All Weather Heating & Air Conditioning Inc Can Assist with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In short, the changes to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t impact you very much until you require repairs. But as we discussed beforehand, refrigerant-related repairs can be more expensive due to the low levels that are accessible.

Not to mention, your air conditioner usually malfunctions at the worst time, often on the hottest day when we’re receiving a lot of other requests for AC repair.

If your air conditioner uses a phased out refrigerant or is more than 15 years old, we suggest installing a new, energy-efficient air conditioner. This provides a hassle-free summer and can even decrease your utility bills, especially if you select an ENERGY STAR®-rated air conditioner. Plus, All Weather Heating & Air Conditioning Inc has many financing options to make your new air conditioner fit your budget. Contact us at 256-801-4701 to begin right away with a free estimate.