You might not think much about how your air conditioner works, but it needs refrigerant to keep your house cool. This refrigerant is subject to environmental laws, since 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 review the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Alice, 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 possibly uses Freon®. You can find out if your air conditioner contains it by reaching us at 361-265-4371. You can also examine the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is found outside your home. This sticker will have information on what type of refrigerant your AC needs.

Freon, which is also known as R-22, contains chlorine. Scientists consider R-22 to be harmful to the earth’s ozone layer and one that results in global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which manages refrigerants in the United States, barred its production and import in January 2020.

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

It varies. If your air conditioning is running as designed, you can continue to use it. With regular air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your air conditioning to last around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy reports that removing a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on summertime cooling costs!

If you don’t replace your air conditioner, it may lead to difficulties if you need air conditioning repair later on, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs could be higher-priced, since only small amounts of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is accessible.

With the discontinuation of R-22, most new air conditioners now rely on Puron®. Also called R-410A, this refrigerant was created to keep the ozone layer in good shape. Since it requires a different pressure level, it doesn’t work with air conditioners that use 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 communicated yet for residential air conditioners, it’s likely sometime this decade.

What Refrigerant Will Replace R-410A?

In preparation of the discontinuation, some companies have begun using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant rates low for global warming potential—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 cooling costs.

Rescue Heating & Air Can Assist with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In short, the alterations to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t concern you greatly until you have to have repairs. But as we went over previously, refrigerant-related repairs might be more expensive due to the low levels that are accessible.

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

If your air conditioner relies on a discontinued refrigerant or is aging, we advise installing an up-to-date, energy-efficient air conditioner. This delivers a stress-free summer and might even reduce your cooling costs, especially if you get an ENERGY STAR®-rated air conditioner. Plus, Rescue Heating & Air has many financing solutions to make your new air conditioner even more affordable. Contact us at 361-265-4371 to begin today with a free estimate.