You might not think a lot about how your air conditioner works, but it depends on refrigerant to keep your house cold. This refrigerant is controlled by environmental regulation, because of the chemicals it contains.

Subject to when your air conditioner was installed, 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 Moline, as well as how these phaseouts have on influence on you.

What’s R-22 and Why Is It Phased Out?

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it possibly contains Freon®. You can discover if your air conditioner uses it by contacting us at 309-323-9584. You can also look at the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is found outside your home. This sticker will include information on what type of refrigerant your AC has.

Freon, which is also known as R-22, includes chlorine. Scientists consider this chemical to be bad for the earth’s ozone layer and one that leads to global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which manages 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 as designed, you can continue to run it. With routine air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your AC to run around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy notes that replacing a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on summertime cooling costs!

If you don’t install a new air conditioner, it might lead to difficulties if you require air conditioning repair later on, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs could be more expensive, since only reduced quantities of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is accessible.

With the discontinuation of R-22, a lot of new air conditioners now use Puron®. Also called R-410A, this refrigerant was developed to keep the ozone layer healthy. Because it needs a different pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that use R-22 for cooling.

However, Puron still has the potential to create global warming. Because of that, it could also sometime be ended. Although it hasn’t been communicated yet for residential air conditioners, it’s anticipated sometime this decade.

What Refrigerant Will Take Over R-410A?

In preparation of the end, some brands have started using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant ranks low for global warming likelihood—approximately one-third less than R-410A. And it also decreases energy use by around 10%, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. That’s savings that may be forwarded on to you through your utility costs.

Freed Heating & Air Conditioning Can Assist with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In summary, the changes to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t affect you greatly until you have to have repairs. But as we went over previously, repairs connected to refrigerant may be more costly because of the restricted levels available.

In addition to that, your air conditioner often malfunctions at the worst time, frequently on the warmest day when we’re receiving a lot of other requests for AC repair.

If your air conditioner requires a phased out refrigerant or is more than 15 years old, we advise installing an up-to-date, energy-efficient air conditioner. This ensures a hassle-free summer and may even decrease your electrical expenses, especially if you get an ENERGY STAR®-rated system. Plus, Freed Heating & Air Conditioning provides many financing solutions to make your new air conditioner fit your budget. Contact us at 309-323-9584 to start right away with a free estimate.