You might not think often about how your air conditioner works, but it relies on refrigerant to keep your house fresh. This refrigerant is bound by environmental rules, since it contains chemicals.
Subject to when your air conditioner was installed, it may use R-22, R-410A or R-32 refrigerant. We’ll go over the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Chadron, as well as how these phaseouts impact you.
What’s R-22 and Why is It No Longer Being Made?
If your air conditioner was added before 2010, it probably contains Freon®. You can discover if your air conditioner contains it by reaching us at 308-832-4321. 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 model of refrigerant your AC has.
Freon, which is also known as R-22, has chlorine. Scientists consider R-22 to be bad for the earth’s ozone layer and one that contributes to global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which governs refrigerants in the United States, barred 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 working properly, you can continue to keep it. With routine air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your air conditioning to operate around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy notes that removing a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on yearly cooling costs!
If you don’t install a new air conditioner, it might lead to difficulties if you require air conditioning repair down the road, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs may be higher-priced, as only small levels of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is accessible.
With the discontinuation of R-22, a lot of new air conditioners now rely on Puron®. Also called R-410A, this refrigerant was developed to keep the ozone layer healthy. As it needs an incompatible pressure level, it doesn’t work with air conditioners that rely on R-22 for cooling.
However, Puron still has the potential to contribute to global warming. Because of that, it may also sometime be discontinued. Although it hasn’t been disclosed 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 started using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant rates low for global warming likelihood—around one-third less than R-410A. And it also lowers energy consumption by approximately 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 electrical expenses.
MPC Heating & Cooling Can Assist with All Your Air Conditioning Needs
In summary, the changes to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t concern you very much until you need repairs. But as we went over previously, repairs connected to refrigerant can be more expensive because of the reduced levels available.
In addition to that, your air conditioner frequently stops working at the worst time, often on the muggiest day when we’re getting many other requests for AC repair.
If your air conditioner requires an outdated refrigerant or is getting old, we recommend getting a modern, energy-efficient air conditioner. This delivers a hassle-free summer and can even decrease your cooling expenses, especially if you get an ENERGY STAR®-rated system. Plus, MPC Heating & Cooling has many financing options to make your new air conditioner work with your budget. Contact us at 308-832-4321 to start now with a free estimate.