Are Air Conditioning Refrigerants Being Phased Out?

You might not think often about how your air conditioner functions, but it needs refrigerant to keep your house cold. This refrigerant is controlled by 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 discuss the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Morgantown, as well as how these phaseouts impact you.

What’s R-22 and Why Is It Phased Out?

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably uses Freon®. You can discover if your air conditioner uses it by calling us at 304-413-1287. You can also look at the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is located outside your house. This sticker will contain info 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 results in global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which governs refrigerants in the United States, outlawed its manufacture 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 properly, you can continue to keep it. With yearly air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your system to operate around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy reports that removing a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on annual cooling expenses!

If you don’t replace your air conditioner, it can cause a problem if you have to have air conditioning repair down the road, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs might be higher-priced, since only limited levels 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 developed to keep the ozone layer strong. Because it calls for a varying pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that rely on R-22 for cooling.

However, Puron still has the possibility to contribute to global warming. As a consequence, it could also ultimately be ended. Although it hasn’t been mandated yet for residential air conditioners, it’s likely sometime this decade.

What Refrigerant Will Take Over R-410A?

In preparation of the end, some brands have initiated using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant ranks low for global warming potential—approximately 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 passed on to you through your cooling bills.

Mountain Air Can Assist with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In brief, the changes to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t impact you a whole lot until you need repairs. But as we talked about earlier, refrigerant-related repairs can be more costly since there are the restricted levels on hand.

Aside from that, your air conditioner frequently malfunctions at the worst time, frequently on the muggiest day when we’re getting a lot of other requests for AC repair.

If your air conditioner uses a discontinued refrigerant or is more than 15 years old, we suggest getting an up-to-date, energy-efficient air conditioner. This provides a hassle-free summer and might even decrease your utility costs, especially if you get an ENERGY STAR®-rated model. Plus, Mountain Air provides many financing programs to make your new air conditioner fit your budget. Contact us at 304-413-1287 to get started now with a free estimate.