You might not think much about how your air conditioner operates, but it requires refrigerant to keep your residence cool. This refrigerant is controlled by environmental laws, because of the chemicals it contains.

Depending on 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 York, as well as how these phaseouts impact you.

What’s R-22 and Why Is It Phased Out?

If your air conditioner was put in before 2010, it possibly contains Freon®. You can discover if your air conditioner uses it by reaching us at 717-383-4479. You can also examine the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is situated outside your residence. This sticker will include information on what kind of refrigerant your AC uses.

Freon, which is also referred to as R-22, includes 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 controls refrigerants in the United States, banned its creation and import in January 2020.

Should I Replace My R-22 Air Conditioner?

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

If you don’t get a new air conditioner, it might cause an issue if you have to have air conditioning repair later on, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs may be more expensive, since only reduced levels of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is accessible.

With the phaseout of R-22, a lot of new air conditioners now have Puron®. Also referred to as R-410A, this refrigerant was created to keep the ozone layer strong. Since it calls for a different pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that need R-22 for cooling.

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

What Refrigerant Will Take Over R-410A?

In preparation of the discontinuation, some companies have begun using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant ranks low for global warming potential—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 may be sent on to you through your energy costs.

Strine's Can Help with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In brief, the modifications to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t affect you very much until you require repairs. But as we talked about earlier, repairs connected to refrigerant may be more expensive because of the restricted quantities available.

Not to mention, your air conditioner usually stops working at the worst time, often on the warmest day when we’re experiencing lots of other requests for AC repair.

If your air conditioner relies on a discontinued refrigerant or is getting old, we suggest getting an up-to-date, energy-efficient air conditioner. This provides a stress-free summer and could even lower your cooling costs, especially if you get an ENERGY STAR®-rated air conditioner. Plus, Strine's provides many financing programs to make your new air conditioner fit your budget. Contact us at 717-383-4479 to start today with a free estimate.