You might not think often about how your air conditioner works, but it needs refrigerant to keep your house fresh. This refrigerant is bound by environmental laws, as 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 go over the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Lodi, in addition to how these phaseouts impact you.
What’s R-22 and Why is It Discontinued?
If your air conditioner was put in before 2010, it likely uses Freon®. You can discover if your air conditioner contains it by reaching us at 209-257-3156. You can also inspect the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is found outside your residence. This sticker will have info on what type of refrigerant your AC has.
Freon, which is also referred to as R-22, contains chlorine. Scientists consider Freon to be damaging to the earth’s ozone layer and one that leads to global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which oversees refrigerants in the United States, barred its manufacture and import in January 2020.
I Have a R-22 Air Conditioner. Should I Replace It?
It differs. If your air conditioning is running correctly, you can continue to use it. With yearly 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 get a new air conditioner, it might lead to an issue if you need air conditioning repair later on, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs might be higher-priced, as only limited quantities of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is available.
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 strong. Because it requires a different pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that use R-22 for cooling.
However, Puron still has the likelihood to contribute to global warming. Because of that, it might also sometime be discontinued. Although it hasn’t been announced yet for residential air conditioners, it’s likely sometime this decade.
What Refrigerant Will Take Over 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 potential—about one-third less than R-410A. And it also reduces energy consumption by approximately 10%, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. That’s savings that may be forwarded on to you through your energy costs.
Tokay Heating and Air Conditioning Can Assist with All Your Air Conditioning Needs
In short, the changes to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t affect you greatly until you require repairs. But as we discussed beforehand, repairs connected to refrigerant could be pricier due to the low levels on hand.
Aside from that, your air conditioner usually malfunctions at the worst time, frequently on the warmest day when we’re getting lots of other appointments for AC repair.
If your air conditioner uses a phased out refrigerant or is aging, we recommend upgrading to a modern, energy-efficient air conditioner. This ensures a hassle-free summer and could even lower your utility bills, especially if you select an ENERGY STAR®-rated model. Plus, Tokay Heating and Air Conditioning offers many financing programs to make your new air conditioner work with your budget. Contact us at 209-257-3156 to start now with a free estimate.