You might not think a lot about how your air conditioner operates, but it depends on refrigerant to keep your residence fresh. This refrigerant is controlled by environmental regulation, as it contains chemicals.

Depending on 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 Marshalltown, plus how these phaseouts affect you.

What’s R-22 and Why Is It Phased Out?

If your air conditioner was added before 2010, it possibly uses Freon®. You can learn if your air conditioner has it by contacting us at 641-316-3360. You can also look at the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is situated outside your home. This sticker will have information on what type of refrigerant your AC has.

Freon, which is also referred to as R-22, contains chlorine. Scientists consider R-22 to be harmful to the earth’s ozone layer and one that leads to global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which controls refrigerants in the United States, outlawed 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 cooling correctly, you can continue to keep it. With yearly air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your system to last around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy says that substituting a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on summertime cooling costs!

If you don’t install a new air conditioner, it may create difficulties if you need air conditioning repair down the road, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs might be higher-priced, because only reduced quantities of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is on hand.

With the discontinuation of R-22, a lot of new air conditioners now have Puron®. Also known as R-410A, this refrigerant was created to keep the ozone layer in good shape. Since it needs a different pressure level, it isn’t compatible with air conditioners that need R-22 for cooling.

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

What Refrigerant Will Take Over 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 likelihood—about one-third less than R-410A. And it also lowers energy consumption by around 10%, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. That’s savings that might be passed on to you through your utility costs.

B & G HVAC Can Provide Support with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In short, the modifications to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t affect you very much until you have to have repairs. But as we discussed previously, refrigerant repairs may be more expensive because of the restricted quantities that are accessible.

In addition to that, your air conditioner typically malfunctions at the worst time, typically on the hottest day when we’re receiving lots of other requests for AC repair.

If your air conditioner requires an outdated refrigerant or is more than 15 years old, we suggest installing an up-to-date, energy-efficient air conditioner. This ensures a trouble-free summer and might even reduce your utility costs, especially if you select an ENERGY STAR®-rated system. Plus, B & G HVAC offers many financing programs to make your new air conditioner even more affordable. Contact us at 641-316-3360 to start right away with a free estimate.