You might not think a lot about how your air conditioner operates, but it requires refrigerant to keep your home fresh. This refrigerant is subject to environmental laws, because of the chemicals it contains.
Subject to when your air conditioner was put in, it may use R-22, R-410A or R-32 refrigerant. We’ll discuss the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Booneville, as well as how these phaseouts affect you.
What’s R-22 and Why Is It No Longer Being Made?
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it likely contains Freon®. You can learn if your air conditioner contains it by reaching us at 662-269-8716. You can also inspect the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is found outside your house. This sticker will include info on what model of refrigerant your AC needs.
Freon, which is also called R-22, contains chlorine. Scientists consider Freon to be damaging to the earth’s ozone layer and one that prompts 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 depends. If your air conditioning is running fine, you can continue to run it. With yearly air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your system to operate 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 expenses!
If you don’t install a new air conditioner, it might lead to a problem if you need air conditioning repair down the road, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs could be pricier, as only reduced quantities of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is on hand.
With the discontinuation of R-22, most new air conditioners now rely on Puron®. Also called R-410A, this refrigerant was developed to keep the ozone layer strong. As it needs an incompatible pressure level, it doesn’t work with air conditioners that need R-22 for cooling.
However, Puron still has the possibility to contribute to global warming. Because of that, it could also eventually be phased out. Although it hasn’t been communicated yet for residential air conditioners, it’s expected sometime this decade.
What Refrigerant Will Take the Place of R-410A?
In preparation of the discontinuation, some brands have initiated using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant rates low for global warming likelihood—approximately one-third less than R-410A. And it also reduces energy consumption by approximately 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 cooling expenses.
Booneville Heating & Cooling Can Help with All Your Air Conditioning Needs
In brief, the modifications to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t impact you a whole lot until you have to have repairs. But as we discussed earlier, refrigerant repairs may be more costly since there are the low levels on hand.
Not to mention, your air conditioner usually malfunctions at the worst time, frequently on the hottest day when we’re getting lots of other requests for AC repair.
If your air conditioner requires an outdated refrigerant or is aging, we advise getting a new, energy-efficient air conditioner. This ensures a hassle-free summer and could even reduce your utility bills, especially if you select an ENERGY STAR®-rated air conditioner. Plus, Booneville Heating & Cooling provides many financing solutions to make your new air conditioner even more affordable. Contact us at 662-269-8716 to start now with a free estimate.
