Which Air Conditioning Refrigerants Are Being Phased Out?

You might not think a lot about how your air conditioner works, but it relies on refrigerant to keep your house cold. This refrigerant is subject to environmental rules, since it contains chemicals.

Depending on 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 Narvon, as well as how these phaseouts impact you.

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

If your air conditioner was added before 2010, it probably contains Freon®. You can find out if your air conditioner contains it by calling us at 717-479-4950. You can also inspect the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is situated outside your home. This sticker will contain information on what kind of refrigerant your AC has.

Freon, which is also known as R-22, contains chlorine. Scientists consider R-22 to be damaging to the earth’s ozone layer and one that leads to global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which controls refrigerants in the United States, barred its creation 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 cooling as designed, you can continue to run it. With routine air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your air conditioning to operate around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy notes that replacing a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on yearly cooling costs!

If you don’t install a new air conditioner, it might lead to a problem if you require air conditioning repair in the future, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs can be more expensive, since only limited quantities of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is available.

With the end of R-22, many new air conditioners now have Puron®. Also known as R-410A, this refrigerant was created to keep the ozone layer healthy. Since it needs an incompatible pressure level, it isn’t compatible with air conditioners that rely on R-22 for cooling.

However, Puron still has the potential to lead to global warming. As a consequence, it may also sometime be phased out. 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 initiated using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant ranks low for global warming potential—around one-third less than R-410A. And it also lowers 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 cooling expenses.

Ameri-Tec Can Help with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In brief, the alterations to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t impact you a whole lot until you need repairs. But as we went over earlier, repairs connected to refrigerant may be pricier because of the restricted quantities on hand.

In addition to that, your air conditioner typically breaks down at the worst time, typically on the muggiest day when we’re experiencing many other requests for AC repair.

If your air conditioner requires a discontinued refrigerant or is aging, we recommend upgrading to an up-to-date, energy-efficient air conditioner. This provides a hassle-free summer and may even reduce your utility expenses, especially if you choose an ENERGY STAR®-rated air conditioner. Plus, Ameri-Tec has many financing programs to make your new air conditioner even more affordable. Contact us at 717-479-4950 to begin today with a free estimate.