Which Air Conditioning Refrigerants Are Being Phased Out?

You might not think often about how your air conditioner operates, but it relies on refrigerant to keep your home fresh. This refrigerant is bound by environmental regulation, 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 Bloomfield, 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 has Freon®. You can discover if your air conditioner has it by calling us at 812-825-8695. You can also inspect the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is situated outside your home. This sticker will have information on what model of refrigerant your AC uses.

Freon, which is also known as R-22, has chlorine. Scientists consider Freon to be bad for the earth’s ozone layer and one that leads to global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which governs refrigerants in the United States, banned its creation and import in January 2020.

I Have a R-22 Air Conditioner. Should I Replace It?

It varies. If your air conditioning is operating properly, you can continue to use it. With routine air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your system to operate around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy says that replacing a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on summertime cooling costs!

If you don’t install a new air conditioner, it can cause an issue if you have to have air conditioning repair down the road, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs might be more expensive, since only limited amounts of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is available.

With the phaseout of R-22, many new air conditioners now use Puron®. Also known as R-410A, this refrigerant was developed to keep the ozone layer strong. As it calls for a varying pressure level, it doesn’t work with air conditioners that need R-22 for cooling.

However, Puron still has the potential to contribute to global warming. Because of that, it might also ultimately be discontinued. Although it hasn’t been mandated yet for residential air conditioners, it’s expected sometime this decade.

What Refrigerant Will Replace R-410A?

In preparation of the discontinuation, some manufacturers have begun using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant is classified low for global warming possibility—around one-third less than R-410A. And it also reduces energy consumption by around 10%, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. That’s savings that may be sent on to you through your energy costs.

Stanford Heating & Cooling Can Provide Support with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In brief, the modifications to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t affect you greatly until you need repairs. But as we talked about beforehand, repairs connected to refrigerant can be more expensive due to the low amounts that are accessible.

In addition to that, your air conditioner usually stops working at the worst time, often on the hottest day when we’re getting a lot of other appointments for AC repair.

If your air conditioner requires an outdated refrigerant or is aging, we advise getting an up-to-date, energy-efficient air conditioner. This delivers a hassle-free summer and may even decrease your utility costs, especially if you select an ENERGY STAR®-rated air conditioner. Plus, Stanford Heating & Cooling provides many financing solutions to make your new air conditioner fit your budget. Contact us at 812-825-8695 to begin right away with a free estimate.