You might not think much about how your air conditioner operates, but it depends on refrigerant to keep your house cool. This refrigerant is subject to environmental rules, since it contains chemicals.

Based on when your air conditioner was added to your home, it may require R-22, R-410A or R-32 refrigerant. We’ll review the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Buellton, in addition to how these phaseouts impact you.

What’s R-22 and Why Is It Phased Out?

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably uses Freon®. You can discover if your air conditioner contains it by calling us at 805-242-9638. You can also inspect the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is situated outside your home. This sticker will include info on what kind of refrigerant your AC needs.

Freon, which is also known as R-22, includes 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, barred its manufacture and import in January 2020.

I Use an Air Conditioner with R-22. Do I Need to Get a New One?

It depends. If your air conditioning is operating as designed, you can continue to use it. With regular 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 annual cooling bills!

If you don’t replace your air conditioner, it can lead to difficulties if you have to have air conditioning repair in the future, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs can be higher-priced, since only reduced quantities of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is on hand.

With the end of R-22, most new air conditioners now rely on Puron®. Also referred to as R-410A, this refrigerant was created to keep the ozone layer in good shape. As it requires a different pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that use R-22 for cooling.

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

What Refrigerant Will Take Over R-410A?

In preparation of the end, some companies 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 lowers energy expenditure by approximately 10%, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. That’s savings that may be passed on to you through your utility costs.

Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning Can Help with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In summary, the changes to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t affect you very much until you have to have repairs. But as we discussed beforehand, repairs connected to refrigerant can be more expensive since there are the restricted amounts that are accessible.

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

If your air conditioner relies on a phased out refrigerant or is aging, we suggest installing a modern, energy-efficient air conditioner. This provides a stress-free summer and can even decrease your electrical expenses, especially if you get an ENERGY STAR®-rated model. Plus, Allstar Heating & Air Conditioning provides many financing programs to make your new air conditioner work with your budget. Contact us at 805-242-9638 to begin today with a free estimate.