You might not think a lot about how your air conditioner works, but it depends on refrigerant to keep your home fresh. This refrigerant is subject to environmental rules, as it contains chemicals.
Based on when your air conditioner was added to your home, it may use R-22, R-410A or R-32 refrigerant. We’ll review the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Rapid City, in addition to how these phaseouts affect you.
What’s R-22 and Why Is It No Longer Being Made?
If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably contains Freon®. You can find out if your air conditioner contains it by reaching us at 605-206-3915. You can also inspect the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is situated outside your residence. This sticker will have info on what model of refrigerant your AC needs.
Freon, which is also known as R-22, contains chlorine. Scientists consider Freon to be bad for the earth’s ozone layer and one that prompts global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which manages refrigerants in the United States, banned its manufacture and import in January 2020.
Should I Replace My R-22 Air Conditioner?
It differs. If your air conditioning is operating correctly, you can continue to keep it. With routine air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your AC 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 yearly cooling costs!
If you don’t install a new air conditioner, it might lead to difficulties if you need air conditioning repair in the future, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs can be more expensive, because only small amounts of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is accessible.
With the end of R-22, most new air conditioners now use Puron®. Also known as R-410A, this refrigerant was created to keep the ozone layer strong. Because it requires an incompatible pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that rely on R-22 for cooling.
However, Puron still has the possibility to lead to global warming. Because of that, it might also eventually be ended. Although it hasn’t been communicated 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—about one-third less than R-410A. And it also decreases energy expenditure by around 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 utility expenses.
Street Heating and Cooling Can Assist with All Your Air Conditioning Needs
In short, the alterations to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t affect you greatly until you have to have repairs. But as we talked about beforehand, repairs connected to refrigerant can be more costly since there are the low levels on hand.
In addition to that, your air conditioner frequently stops working at the worst time, often on the hottest day when we’re experiencing lots of other appointments for AC repair.
If your air conditioner uses a phased out refrigerant or is aging, we advise installing a modern, energy-efficient air conditioner. This ensures a trouble-free summer and could even reduce your utility costs, especially if you choose an ENERGY STAR®-rated model. Plus, Street Heating and Cooling has many financing solutions to make your new air conditioner fit your budget. Contact us at 605-206-3915 to start today with a free estimate.