Are Air Conditioning Refrigerants Being Phased Out?

You might not think a lot about how your air conditioner functions, but it relies on refrigerant to keep your house fresh. This refrigerant is controlled by environmental regulation, because of the chemicals it contains.

Based on when your air conditioner was added to your home, it may use R-22, R-410A or R-32 refrigerant. We’ll go over the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in New Castle, plus 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 likely uses Freon®. You can learn if your air conditioner uses it by calling us at 724-401-1843. You can also examine the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is situated outside your house. This sticker will include info on what model of refrigerant your AC has.

Freon, which is also known as R-22, has chlorine. Scientists consider this chemical to be harmful to the earth’s ozone layer and one that contributes to global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which manages refrigerants in the United States, banned its production and import in January 2020.

Should I Replace My R-22 Air Conditioner?

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

If you don’t replace your air conditioner, it might lead to a problem if you require air conditioning repair later on, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs could be more expensive, as only reduced quantities of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is on hand.

With the end of R-22, a lot of new air conditioners now use Puron®. Also known as R-410A, this refrigerant was created to keep the ozone layer in good shape. Because it calls for a different pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that rely on R-22 for cooling.

However, Puron still has the likelihood to lead to global warming. As a consequence, it could also sometime be discontinued. Although it hasn’t been disclosed yet for residential air conditioners, it’s expected sometime this decade.

What Refrigerant Will Take Over R-410A?

In preparation of the discontinuation, some brands have begun using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant rates low for global warming potential—approximately one-third less than R-410A. And it also lowers energy expenditure by approximately 10%, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. That’s savings that might be forwarded on to you through your energy expenses.

Central Heating & Plumbing Can Help with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In summary, the changes to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t affect you greatly until you need repairs. But as we went over previously, repairs connected to refrigerant may be more costly because of the restricted quantities available.

Aside from that, your air conditioner frequently stops working at the worst time, frequently on the muggiest day when we’re getting many other calls for AC repair.

If your air conditioner relies on an outdated refrigerant or is getting old, we recommend getting an up-to-date, energy-efficient air conditioner. This ensures a trouble-free summer and can even reduce your utility bills, especially if you get an ENERGY STAR®-rated system. Plus, Central Heating & Plumbing provides many financing options to make your new air conditioner work with your budget. Contact us at 724-401-1843 to start today with a free estimate.