Which Air Conditioning Refrigerants Are Being Phased Out?

You might not think often about how your air conditioner functions, but it relies on refrigerant to keep your house cold. This refrigerant is subject to environmental rules, as it contains chemicals.

Subject to 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 Weatherford, plus how these phaseouts have on influence on you.

What’s R-22 and Why Is It Phased Out?

If your air conditioner was added before 2010, it probably contains Freon®. You can discover if your air conditioner has it by contacting us at 817-380-5213. You can also look at the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is located outside your house. This sticker will have details on what model of refrigerant your AC uses.

Freon, which is also called R-22, contains chlorine. Scientists consider R-22 to be harmful to the earth’s ozone layer and one that results in global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which manages refrigerants in the United States, outlawed its creation and import in January 2020.

Should I Replace My R-22 Air Conditioner?

It depends. If your air conditioning is cooling properly, you can continue to use it. With regular air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your system 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 annual cooling expenses!

If you don’t get a new air conditioner, it can cause a problem if you require air conditioning repair down the road, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs might be pricier, because only limited quantities of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is accessible.

With the end of R-22, most new air conditioners now use Puron®. Also called R-410A, this refrigerant was developed to keep the ozone layer strong. Because it needs a varying pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that use R-22 for cooling.

However, Puron still has the possibility to create global warming. Because of that, it may also sometime be discontinued. Although it hasn’t been communicated yet for residential air conditioners, it’s expected sometime this decade.

What Refrigerant Will Take Over R-410A?

In preparation of the discontinuation, some brands have started using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant is classified low for global warming likelihood—about one-third less than R-410A. And it also decreases energy consumption by about 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.

Parker County Cooling & Heating Can Assist with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In brief, the alterations to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t impact you greatly until you need repairs. But as we talked about earlier, refrigerant repairs can be more costly since there are the low levels that are accessible.

In addition to that, your air conditioner often malfunctions at the worst time, frequently on the hottest day when we’re getting lots of other calls for AC repair.

If your air conditioner relies on a discontinued refrigerant or is aging, we advise upgrading to a modern, energy-efficient air conditioner. This ensures a trouble-free summer and can even lower your electrical costs, especially if you choose an ENERGY STAR®-rated model. Plus, Parker County Cooling & Heating offers many financing options to make your new air conditioner even more affordable. Contact us at 817-380-5213 to begin today with a free estimate.