You might not think a lot about how your air conditioner functions, but it needs refrigerant to keep your residence fresh. This refrigerant is subject to environmental regulation, as it contains chemicals.
Subject to when your air conditioner was added to your home, it may need R-22, R-410A or R-32 refrigerant. We’ll discuss the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Wilmington, in addition to 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 learn if your air conditioner has it by contacting us at 302-261-3596. You can also look at the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is located outside your home. This sticker will include information on what kind of refrigerant your AC needs.
Freon, which is also called R-22, contains chlorine. Scientists consider Freon to be bad for the earth’s ozone layer and one that results in global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which manages 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 depends. If your air conditioning is operating as designed, you can continue to keep it. With regular air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your air conditioning to operate around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy reports that substituting a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on yearly cooling costs!
If you don’t install a new air conditioner, it might create a problem if you have to have air conditioning repair in the future, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs may be higher-priced, because only limited levels of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is accessible.
With the discontinuation of R-22, most new air conditioners now rely on Puron®. Also known as R-410A, this refrigerant was developed to keep the ozone layer in good shape. As it requires a different pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that rely on R-22 for cooling.
However, Puron still has the potential to create global warming. As a result, it could also ultimately be discontinued. Although it hasn’t been disclosed yet for residential air conditioners, it’s likely sometime this decade.
What Refrigerant Will Replace R-410A?
In preparation of the end, some brands have started using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant ranks low for global warming possibility—about one-third less than R-410A. And it also reduces energy consumption by approximately 10%, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. That’s savings that might be forwarded on to you through your cooling costs.
Brandywine Heating & Air Can Help with All Your Air Conditioning Needs
In short, the modifications to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t impact you a whole lot until you need repairs. But as we talked about earlier, refrigerant repairs may be more costly due to the low levels available.
Not to mention, your air conditioner typically malfunctions at the worst time, frequently on the hottest day when we’re experiencing a lot of other appointments for AC repair.
If your air conditioner uses a discontinued refrigerant or is more than 15 years old, we recommend getting a new, energy-efficient air conditioner. This delivers a trouble-free summer and might even lower your electrical costs, especially if you get an ENERGY STAR®-rated air conditioner. Plus, Brandywine Heating & Air provides many financing solutions to make your new air conditioner even more affordable. Contact us at 302-261-3596 to begin now with a free estimate.