You might not think much about how your air conditioner operates, but it needs refrigerant to keep your house cold. This refrigerant is bound by environmental laws, as it contains chemicals.
Subject to when your air conditioner was put in, it may need R-22, R-410A or R-32 refrigerant. We’ll review the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Genoa, plus how these phaseouts affect 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 find out if your air conditioner contains it by contacting us at +1 847-293-0047. You can also examine the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is found outside your house. This sticker will have info on what model of refrigerant your AC needs.
Freon, which is also referred to as R-22, includes chlorine. Scientists consider this chemical to be damaging to the earth’s ozone layer and one that results in global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which manages refrigerants in the United States, barred its production and import in January 2020.
I Have a R-22 Air Conditioner. Should I Replace It?
It differs. If your air conditioning is cooling fine, you can continue to use it. With routine air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your air conditioning to operate around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy reports that removing a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on yearly cooling expenses!
If you don’t replace your air conditioner, it might lead to a problem if you need air conditioning repair down the road, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs can be higher-priced, as only small amounts of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is accessible.
With the phaseout of R-22, most new air conditioners now use Puron®. Also called R-410A, this refrigerant was created to keep the ozone layer in good shape. Since it calls for a different pressure level, it doesn’t work with air conditioners that rely on R-22 for cooling.
However, Puron still has the possibility to contribute to global warming. As a result, it may also sometime be ended. Although it hasn’t been communicated yet for residential air conditioners, it’s likely sometime this decade.
What Refrigerant Will Replace R-410A?
In preparation of the phaseout, some brands have started using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant ranks low for global warming likelihood—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 could be forwarded on to you through your cooling costs.
Assured Appliance & Heating & Air Can Provide Support with All Your Air Conditioning Needs
In short, the alterations to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t affect you greatly until you have to have repairs. But as we went over earlier, refrigerant repairs can be more expensive since there are the reduced levels available.
Not to mention, your air conditioner often malfunctions at the worst time, often on the muggiest day when we’re experiencing lots of other calls for AC repair.
If your air conditioner requires an outdated refrigerant or is more than 15 years old, we advise installing a new, energy-efficient air conditioner. This provides a stress-free summer and can even lower your utility costs, especially if you select an ENERGY STAR®-rated air conditioner. Plus, Assured Appliance & Heating & Air offers many financing solutions to make your new air conditioner even more affordable. Contact us at +1 847-293-0047 to get started today with a free estimate.
