Are Air Conditioning Refrigerants Being Phased Out?

You might not think often about how your air conditioner operates, but it needs refrigerant to keep your home fresh. This refrigerant is bound by environmental laws, because of the chemicals it contains.

Based on when your air conditioner was added to your home, 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 Columbus, in addition to how these phaseouts affect you.

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

If your air conditioner was added before 2010, it probably uses Freon®. You can learn if your air conditioner contains it by calling us at 614-210-3041. You can also look at the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is found outside your home. This sticker will have info on what model of refrigerant your AC has.

Freon, which is also known as R-22, contains chlorine. Scientists consider R-22 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, banned its manufacture and import in January 2020.

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

It depends. If your air conditioning is running fine, you can continue to keep it. With regular air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your air conditioning to operate around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy says that removing a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on annual cooling costs!

If you don’t install a new air conditioner, it can lead to a problem if you need air conditioning repair later on, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs can be more expensive, because only reduced 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 developed to keep the ozone layer in good shape. Since it requires an incompatible pressure level, it isn’t compatible with air conditioners that rely on R-22 for cooling.

However, Puron still has the potential to create global warming. As a result, it could also ultimately be ended. Although it hasn’t been disclosed yet for residential air conditioners, it’s anticipated sometime this decade.

What Refrigerant Will Take Over R-410A?

In preparation of the phaseout, some manufacturers have initiated using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant rates low for global warming possibility—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 may be sent on to you through your energy costs.

Classic Air Can Provide Support with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In summary, the modifications to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t affect you a whole lot until you have to have repairs. But as we talked about previously, repairs connected to refrigerant may be more costly due to the restricted amounts available.

In addition to that, your air conditioner typically stops working at the worst time, often on the hottest day when we’re getting a lot of other requests for AC repair.

If your air conditioner uses a phased out refrigerant or is getting old, we recommend installing an up-to-date, energy-efficient air conditioner. This ensures a trouble-free summer and may even lower your electrical bills, especially if you select an ENERGY STAR®-rated model. Plus, Classic Air provides many financing solutions to make your new air conditioner even more affordable. Contact us at 614-210-3041 to get started now with a free estimate.