You might not think often about how your air conditioner functions, but it needs refrigerant to keep your house cold. This refrigerant is bound by environmental rules, because of the chemicals it contains.
Subject to 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 Mobile, as well as how these phaseouts impact you.
What’s R-22 and Why Is It No Longer Being Made?
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably uses Freon®. You can find out if your air conditioner has it by calling us at 251-471-2674. You can also inspect the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is located outside your residence. This sticker will contain information on what model of refrigerant your AC needs.
Freon, which is also called R-22, contains chlorine. Scientists consider Freon to be harmful to the earth’s ozone layer and one that prompts global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which manages refrigerants in the United States, outlawed its manufacture and import in January 2020.
Should I Replace My R-22 Air Conditioner?
It differs. If your air conditioning is cooling properly, 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 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 a problem if you need air conditioning repair in the future, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs can be more expensive, as only reduced amounts of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is accessible.
With the phaseout of R-22, most new air conditioners now use Puron®. Also called R-410A, this refrigerant was made to keep the ozone layer healthy. As it calls for an incompatible pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that need R-22 for cooling.
However, Puron still has the possibility to create global warming. Because of that, it could also eventually be discontinued. Although it hasn’t been disclosed yet for residential air conditioners, it’s likely sometime this decade.
What Refrigerant Will Take the Place of R-410A?
In preparation of the discontinuation, some manufacturers have started using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant ranks low for global warming likelihood—around one-third less than R-410A. And it also lowers energy use by around 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 costs.
Farnell Heating & Air Conditioning Inc Can Help with All Your Air Conditioning Needs
In brief, the alterations to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t impact you very much until you require repairs. But as we discussed beforehand, repairs connected to refrigerant may be more expensive due to the low amounts on hand.
Aside from that, your air conditioner usually stops working at the worst time, typically on the warmest day when we’re getting a lot of other requests for AC repair.
If your air conditioner requires an outdated refrigerant or is aging, we suggest installing a modern, energy-efficient air conditioner. This delivers a hassle-free summer and could even lower your utility bills, especially if you select an ENERGY STAR®-rated air conditioner. Plus, Farnell Heating & Air Conditioning Inc offers many financing programs to make your new air conditioner even more affordable. Contact us at 251-471-2674 to start today with a free estimate.