You might not think a lot about how your air conditioner works, but it relies on refrigerant to keep your house cool. This refrigerant is bound by environmental laws, since it contains chemicals.
Based on when your air conditioner was put in, it may need R-22, R-410A or R-32 refrigerant. We’ll go over the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Lexington, in addition to 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 has Freon®. You can discover if your air conditioner has it by reaching us at 336-853-6070. You can also examine the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is situated outside your house. This sticker will include info on what model of refrigerant your AC needs.
Freon, which is also known as R-22, includes chlorine. Scientists consider this chemical to be harmful to the earth’s ozone layer and one that leads to global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which controls refrigerants in the United States, banned its manufacture and import in January 2020.
I Have a R-22 Air Conditioner. Should I Replace It?
It varies. If your air conditioning is working properly, you can continue to use it. With routine air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your system to run around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy reports that substituting a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on annual cooling bills!
If you keep your air conditioner, it might create difficulties if you have to have air conditioning repair later on, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs may be higher-priced, since only limited amounts of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is available.
With the end 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 healthy. Because it requires a different pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that use R-22 for cooling.
However, Puron still has the possibility to create global warming. As a result, it might also ultimately be discontinued. Although it hasn’t been disclosed yet for residential air conditioners, it’s likely sometime this decade.
What Refrigerant Will Take Over R-410A?
In preparation of the discontinuation, some brands have initiated using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant ranks low for global warming likelihood—about one-third less than R-410A. And it also decreases energy expenditure by approximately 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 expenses.
James Heating & A/C, Inc Can Help with All Your Air Conditioning Needs
In brief, the changes to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t affect you very much until you have to have repairs. But as we went over beforehand, refrigerant repairs might be more expensive due to the low levels on hand.
Aside from that, your air conditioner often breaks down at the worst time, typically on the hottest day when we’re getting a lot of other calls for AC repair.
If your air conditioner uses an outdated refrigerant or is aging, we suggest installing a modern, energy-efficient air conditioner. This ensures a stress-free summer and might even reduce your electrical bills, especially if you get an ENERGY STAR®-rated system. Plus, James Heating & A/C, Inc provides many financing programs to make your new air conditioner fit your budget. Contact us at 336-853-6070 to start now with a free estimate.