There have been a lot of steps taken over the last two decades to help eliminate the environmental problems caused by air conditioning. Some of these steps have addressed the energy efficiency aspect of whole home AC systems while others have addressed the main chemical in these systems, refrigerant known as R-22, or Freon, its brand name. There is an active phase-out that’s been going on with R-22 for some time, and if you have an air conditioning system that uses R-22, you need to be aware of the phase-out process.
Availability
R-22 is still available, but only for recharges. As of 2010, air conditioning systems could no longer be produced using R-22; as such, R-22 production has been drastically reduced. This is why, if you have a system that uses R-22, and you’ve needed a recharge, it was quite expensive.
But more changes are coming, namely the complete phase-out of R-22. According to laws in effect, R-22 will be discontinued completely by January 1, 2020. This means that even if you need R-22 for recharging, it won’t be available. It’s important to note that refrigerants are not interchangeable. The more environmentally-friendly refrigerant that is now being used, R-410A, also known as Puron, cannot be substituted for R-22. If your air conditioner was made to work with R-22, it can only use R-22 refrigerant.
What Does This Mean for Me?
As a homeowner with an air conditioning system that uses R-22, you’ll need to start planning for the inevitable replacement of your AC system. If your AC has some serious age and mileage on it already, you may want to start planning for sooner rather than later. You will also want to keep in mind that any recharge of your system is going to be quite expensive.
If you need help planning for the phase-out of R-22, the experts at DB Heating & Cooling are here to help. Just give us a call and schedule an appointment for your home in Waldwick, NJ.