You might not think often about how your air conditioner operates, but it depends on refrigerant to keep your house cool. This refrigerant is bound by environmental regulation, 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 discuss the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Michigan City, as well as how these phaseouts have on influence on you.
What’s R-22 and Why Is It No Longer Being Made?
If your air conditioner was put in before 2010, it likely uses Freon®. You can find out if your air conditioner has it by contacting us at 219-872-2198. You can also inspect the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is situated outside your home. This sticker will have information on what kind of refrigerant your AC uses.
Freon, which is also referred to as R-22, includes chlorine. Scientists consider R-22 to be damaging to the earth’s ozone layer and one that prompts global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which controls refrigerants in the United States, outlawed its production and import in January 2020.
I Have a R-22 Air Conditioner. Should I Replace It?
It differs. If your air conditioning is running as designed, you can continue to run it. With yearly air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your AC to operate around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy says 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 create a problem if you need air conditioning repair in the future, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs might be higher-priced, as only limited levels of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is accessible.
With the phaseout of R-22, a lot of new air conditioners now use Puron®. Also known as R-410A, this refrigerant was created to keep the ozone layer healthy. Since it needs an incompatible pressure level, it doesn’t work with air conditioners that use R-22 for cooling.
However, Puron still has the potential to create global warming. As a result, it may also ultimately be phased out. Although it hasn’t been communicated yet for residential air conditioners, it’s likely sometime this decade.
What Refrigerant Will Take the Place of R-410A?
In preparation of the end, some companies have started using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant ranks low for global warming possibility—about one-third less than R-410A. And it also lowers energy expenditure 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 cooling expenses.
Paniccia Heating & Cooling Can Assist with All Your Air Conditioning Needs
In brief, the alterations to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t impact you very much until you have to have repairs. But as we went over previously, repairs connected to refrigerant can be pricier due to the reduced quantities on hand.
In addition to that, your air conditioner typically malfunctions at the worst time, typically on the warmest day when we’re experiencing 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 suggest upgrading to a modern, energy-efficient air conditioner. This delivers a stress-free summer and can even decrease your cooling expenses, especially if you get an ENERGY STAR®-rated system. Plus, Paniccia Heating & Cooling offers many financing programs to make your new air conditioner fit your budget. Contact us at 219-872-2198 to start today with a free estimate.