You might not think a lot about how your air conditioner operates, but it requires refrigerant to keep your house fresh. This refrigerant is controlled by environmental rules, as 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 go over the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Florissant, as well as how these phaseouts affect you.

What’s R-22 and Why Is It Discontinued?

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably has Freon®. You can discover if your air conditioner has it by calling us at 314-325-7552. You can also inspect the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is located outside your residence. This sticker will contain details on what kind of refrigerant your AC uses.

Freon, which is also known as R-22, includes chlorine. Scientists consider this chemical to be bad for the earth’s ozone layer and one that results in global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which governs refrigerants in the United States, banned its production and import in January 2020.

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

It differs. If your air conditioning is operating correctly, you can continue to use it. With routine air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your air conditioning to run around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy reports that replacing a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on annual cooling expenses!

If you don’t replace your air conditioner, it can lead to difficulties if you have to have air conditioning repair later on, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs could be pricier, as only small levels of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is available.

With the phaseout of R-22, most new air conditioners now rely on Puron®. Also called R-410A, this refrigerant was developed to keep the ozone layer in good shape. As it needs an incompatible pressure level, it isn’t compatible with air conditioners that need R-22 for cooling.

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

What Refrigerant Will Take the Place of R-410A?

In preparation of the phaseout, some brands have initiated using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant is classified low for global warming likelihood—around 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 could be sent on to you through your energy expenses.

B & B Heating & Cooling Can Provide Support with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In summary, the changes to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t affect you greatly until you need repairs. But as we talked about beforehand, refrigerant-related repairs may be more costly due to the restricted quantities that are accessible.

Aside from that, your air conditioner often stops working at the worst time, frequently on the warmest day when we’re receiving lots of other calls for AC repair.

If your air conditioner requires a phased out refrigerant or is aging, we advise installing a modern, energy-efficient air conditioner. This delivers a hassle-free summer and could even lower your utility bills, especially if you get an ENERGY STAR®-rated air conditioner. Plus, B & B Heating & Cooling offers many financing solutions to make your new air conditioner even more affordable. Contact us at 314-325-7552 to get started today with a free estimate.