You might not think a lot about how your air conditioner works, but it depends on refrigerant to keep your home fresh. This refrigerant is bound by environmental regulation, because of the chemicals it contains.

Subject to 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 Pacheco, in addition to how these phaseouts affect you.

What’s R-22 and Why Is It No Longer Being Made?

If your air conditioner was put in before 2010, it possibly uses Freon®. You can discover if your air conditioner uses it by reaching us at 925-233-6238. You can also examine the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is found outside your house. This sticker will contain details on what type of refrigerant your AC has.

Freon, which is also called 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 governs refrigerants in the United States, barred its creation and import in January 2020.

Should I Replace My R-22 Air Conditioner?

It depends. If your air conditioning is cooling correctly, you can continue to run it. With regular air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your AC to run 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 cause difficulties if you need air conditioning repair later on, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs may be higher-priced, since only small levels of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is available.

With the phaseout of R-22, a lot of new air conditioners now use Puron®. Also known as R-410A, this refrigerant was developed to keep the ozone layer in good shape. Since it calls for a varying 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 may also ultimately be phased out. Although it hasn’t been mandated yet for residential air conditioners, it’s likely sometime this decade.

What Refrigerant Will Replace R-410A?

In preparation of the phaseout, some manufacturers have initiated using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant is classified low for global warming potential—around one-third less than R-410A. And it also reduces energy consumption by about 10%, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. That’s savings that could be sent on to you through your utility bills.

Clean Air HVAC Can Assist with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In brief, the changes to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t concern you greatly until you have to have repairs. But as we talked about previously, refrigerant repairs can be more expensive because of the reduced amounts that are accessible.

In addition to that, your air conditioner frequently breaks down at the worst time, frequently on the muggiest day when we’re getting lots of other requests for AC repair.

If your air conditioner relies on an outdated refrigerant or is more than 15 years old, we advise installing an up-to-date, energy-efficient air conditioner. This delivers a stress-free summer and may even reduce your utility bills, especially if you get an ENERGY STAR®-rated air conditioner. Plus, Clean Air HVAC offers many financing programs to make your new air conditioner fit your budget. Contact us at 925-233-6238 to begin right away with a free estimate.