How Does Air Conditioning Refrigerant Phaseout Affect Me?

You might not think often about how your air conditioner operates, but it requires refrigerant to keep your house cold. This refrigerant is subject to environmental regulation, since it contains chemicals.

Based on when your air conditioner was installed, it may use R-22, R-410A or R-32 refrigerant. We’ll review the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Lawrence, in addition to how these phaseouts impact 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 uses it by reaching us at 785-269-0465. You can also examine the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is located outside your home. This sticker will contain info on what model of refrigerant your AC uses.

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 leads to global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which governs refrigerants in the United States, banned its production and import in January 2020.

Should I Replace My R-22 Air Conditioner?

It depends. If your air conditioning is running correctly, you can continue to run it. With yearly air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your air conditioning to last around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy notes that substituting a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on summertime cooling bills!

If you don’t replace your air conditioner, it might create a problem if you need air conditioning repair down the road, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs could be more expensive, since only small levels of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is accessible.

With the discontinuation of R-22, most new air conditioners now have Puron®. Also called R-410A, this refrigerant was made to keep the ozone layer in good shape. As it calls for a different pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that need R-22 for cooling.

However, Puron still has the likelihood to create global warming. As a result, it could also sometime be ended. Although it hasn’t been mandated yet for residential air conditioners, it’s expected sometime this decade.

What Refrigerant Will Replace R-410A?

In preparation of the phaseout, some brands have initiated using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant ranks low for global warming potential—approximately one-third less than R-410A. And it also decreases energy use by about 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 energy bills.

Scott Temperature Can Help with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In short, the modifications to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t affect you a whole lot until you have to have repairs. But as we discussed earlier, refrigerant-related repairs can be more expensive since there are the low amounts available.

Not to mention, your air conditioner usually stops working at the worst time, often on the muggiest day when we’re receiving many other requests for AC repair.

If your air conditioner requires a discontinued refrigerant or is aging, we recommend upgrading to an up-to-date, energy-efficient air conditioner. This ensures a trouble-free summer and can even decrease your electrical bills, especially if you get an ENERGY STAR®-rated air conditioner. Plus, Scott Temperature offers many financing options to make your new air conditioner work with your budget. Contact us at 785-269-0465 to begin today with a free estimate.