You might not think often about how your air conditioner functions, but it needs refrigerant to keep your home cool. This refrigerant is bound by environmental regulation, 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 review the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Magnolia, in addition to how these phaseouts impact you.

What’s R-22 and Why Is It Discontinued?

If your air conditioner was added before 2010, it possibly contains Freon®. You can learn if your air conditioner has it by reaching us at 281-231-8768. You can also inspect the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is situated outside your house. This sticker will contain information on what kind of refrigerant your AC has.

Freon, which is also known as R-22, contains chlorine. Scientists consider R-22 to be harmful to the earth’s ozone layer and one that contributes to global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which manages refrigerants in the United States, banned its creation and import in January 2020.

I Use an Air Conditioner with R-22. Do I Need to Get a New One?

It varies. If your air conditioning is cooling 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 says that removing a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on yearly cooling bills!

If you don’t replace your air conditioner, it might cause a problem if you have to have air conditioning repair down the road, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs might be more expensive, since only small quantities of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is available.

With the end of R-22, a lot of new air conditioners now have Puron®. Also referred to as R-410A, this refrigerant was made to keep the ozone layer in good shape. Because it requires a varying pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that need R-22 for cooling.

However, Puron still has the possibility to lead to global warming. Because of that, it might also eventually be ended. Although it hasn’t been disclosed yet for residential air conditioners, it’s expected sometime this decade.

What Refrigerant Will Replace R-410A?

In preparation of the phaseout, some companies have begun using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant rates low for global warming possibility—approximately one-third less than R-410A. And it also reduces energy expenditure by about 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 energy bills.

JTech Mechanical Can Help with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In summary, the changes to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t concern you a whole lot until you require repairs. But as we discussed beforehand, repairs connected to refrigerant may be more expensive because of the restricted quantities that are accessible.

Aside from that, your air conditioner often malfunctions at the worst time, often on the warmest day when we’re experiencing lots of other calls for AC repair.

If your air conditioner relies on a phased out refrigerant or is aging, we recommend upgrading to an up-to-date, energy-efficient air conditioner. This ensures a trouble-free summer and might even lower your electrical expenses, especially if you get an ENERGY STAR®-rated model. Plus, JTech Mechanical provides many financing programs to make your new air conditioner even more affordable. Contact us at 281-231-8768 to begin right away with a free estimate.