You might not think a lot about how your air conditioner operates, but it relies on refrigerant to keep your house cold. This refrigerant is controlled by environmental laws, since it contains chemicals.
Depending on when your air conditioner was added to your home, 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 Rockford, 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 has Freon®. You can learn if your air conditioner uses it by reaching us at (815) 914-6197. You can also examine the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is located outside your house. This sticker will include information on what type of refrigerant your AC uses.
Freon, which is also known as R-22, contains chlorine. Scientists consider R-22 to be harmful to the earth’s ozone layer and one that results in global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which governs refrigerants in the United States, outlawed its production and import in January 2020.
I Use an Air Conditioner with R-22. Do I Need to Get a New One?
It differs. If your air conditioning is running fine, you can continue to keep it. With yearly air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your AC to operate around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy reports that substituting a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on summertime cooling expenses!
If you don’t replace your air conditioner, it can cause an issue if you need air conditioning repair later on, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs could be higher-priced, as only reduced quantities of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is accessible.
With the end of R-22, many new air conditioners now rely on Puron®. Also called R-410A, this refrigerant was created to keep the ozone layer in good shape. Since it needs a varying pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that need R-22 for cooling.
However, Puron still has the possibility to contribute to global warming. Because of that, it might also sometime be phased out. Although it hasn’t been communicated yet for residential air conditioners, it’s expected sometime this decade.
What Refrigerant Will Take the Place of R-410A?
In preparation of the end, some manufacturers have started using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant ranks low for global warming possibility—approximately one-third less than R-410A. And it also decreases energy expenditure by about 10%, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. That’s savings that might be sent on to you through your cooling bills.
Temperature Doctors Heating & Cooling Can Help with All Your Air Conditioning Needs
In brief, the changes to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t concern you very much until you have to have repairs. But as we went over beforehand, refrigerant repairs may be more costly since there are the restricted levels on hand.
Not to mention, your air conditioner frequently stops working at the worst time, frequently on the hottest day when we’re experiencing a lot of other calls for AC repair.
If your air conditioner relies on a discontinued refrigerant or is getting old, we advise getting a new, energy-efficient air conditioner. This provides a stress-free summer and could even reduce your electrical bills, especially if you get an ENERGY STAR®-rated model. Plus, Temperature Doctors Heating & Cooling offers many financing options to make your new air conditioner even more affordable. Contact us at (815) 914-6197 to get started right away with a free estimate.