How Does Air Conditioning Refrigerant Phaseout Affect Me?

You might not think often about how your air conditioner functions, but it relies on refrigerant to keep your house cold. This refrigerant is bound by environmental rules, because of the chemicals it contains.

Based on when your air conditioner was installed, it may use R-22, R-410A or R-32 refrigerant. We’ll discuss the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Derby, as well as how these phaseouts affect you.

What’s R-22 and Why Is It No Longer Being Made?

If your air conditioner was put in before 2010, it possibly uses Freon®. You can discover if your air conditioner contains it by contacting us at 203-772-8319. You can also look at the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is located outside your home. This sticker will have information on what kind of refrigerant your AC needs.

Freon, which is also known as R-22, has chlorine. Scientists consider this chemical to be bad for the earth’s ozone layer and one that results in global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which manages refrigerants in the United States, banned 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 operating properly, you can continue to use it. With regular air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your air conditioning 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 get a new air conditioner, it can lead to difficulties if you require air conditioning repair in the future, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs could be more expensive, because only reduced levels of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is available.

With the phaseout of R-22, a lot of new air conditioners now have Puron®. Also called R-410A, this refrigerant was created to keep the ozone layer strong. Because it needs an incompatible pressure level, it doesn’t work with air conditioners that need R-22 for cooling.

However, Puron still has the likelihood to create global warming. As a consequence, it could also ultimately 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 phaseout, some manufacturers have begun using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant rates low for global warming potential—about one-third less than R-410A. And it also lowers energy expenditure by about 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 utility bills.

Giordanos Heating and Air Conditioning Can Provide Support with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In brief, the changes to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t impact you a whole lot until you have to have repairs. But as we discussed previously, refrigerant-related repairs may be more expensive because of the low quantities that are accessible.

Not to mention, your air conditioner usually malfunctions at the worst time, typically on the muggiest day when we’re getting a lot of other requests for AC repair.

If your air conditioner requires an outdated refrigerant or is more than 15 years old, we advise installing an up-to-date, energy-efficient air conditioner. This delivers a trouble-free summer and might even decrease your electrical costs, especially if you select an ENERGY STAR®-rated system. Plus, Giordanos Heating and Air Conditioning has many financing options to make your new air conditioner work with your budget. Contact us at 203-772-8319 to start today with a free estimate.