You might not think often about how your air conditioner functions, but it requires refrigerant to keep your home cold. This refrigerant is controlled by environmental rules, since it contains chemicals.
Depending 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 Ballwin and St. Charles, in addition to 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 learn if your air conditioner has it by contacting us at 636-206-4250. You can also inspect the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is found outside your home. This sticker will contain details on what model of refrigerant your AC has.
Freon, which is also referred to 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 production 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 as designed, you can continue to use it. With routine air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your AC to operate around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy reports that replacing a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on annual cooling bills!
If you don’t get a new air conditioner, it can create a problem if you need air conditioning repair in the future, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs might be more expensive, because only limited quantities of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is available.
With the phaseout of R-22, many new air conditioners now use Puron®. Also known as R-410A, this refrigerant was made to keep the ozone layer healthy. As it requires an incompatible pressure level, it doesn’t work with air conditioners that need R-22 for cooling.
However, Puron still has the potential to contribute to global warming. Because of that, it could also eventually be discontinued. Although it hasn’t been communicated yet for residential air conditioners, it’s likely sometime this decade.
What Refrigerant Will Take Over R-410A?
In preparation of the phaseout, some companies have started using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant is classified low for global warming possibility—about one-third less than R-410A. And it also decreases energy expenditure by around 10%, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. That’s savings that could be passed on to you through your utility costs.
Air Alliance Team Can Provide Support with All Your Air Conditioning Needs
In short, the changes to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t concern you greatly until you require repairs. But as we discussed beforehand, repairs connected to refrigerant might be more costly since there are the low quantities on hand.
In addition to that, your air conditioner frequently stops working at the worst time, often on the muggiest day when we’re getting a lot of other calls for AC repair.
If your air conditioner uses a discontinued refrigerant or is getting old, we advise getting a new, energy-efficient air conditioner. This delivers a trouble-free summer and could even decrease your utility costs, especially if you choose an ENERGY STAR®-rated model. Plus, Air Alliance Team has many financing solutions to make your new air conditioner fit your budget. Contact us at 636-206-4250 to get started today with a free estimate.