Major changes occurred this year that impact the type of AC refrigerant that’s available for your air conditioner. Refrigerant is the substance that keeps your house cool by absorbing indoor heat at the indoor AC evaporator coil and carrying it to the condenser coil outdoors, where the heat is dispersed into the air.
R-22 Is Out
For many years, R-22 refrigerant was utilized in standard residential air conditioners. However, this type of refrigerant was determined to be damaging to the Earth’s ozone layer. After a multiyear phase-out, R-22 was completely removed from the market by the Environmental Protection Agency, effective Jan. 1.
R-410A Is In
Fortunately, there’s an environmentally safe replacement that’s designated R-410A. All new air conditioners are compatible with R-410A refrigerant. However, older units that utilize R-22 are not.
Now What?
If your air conditioner requires R-22 refrigerant, you can continue operating it. However, if the unit needs any service that requires adding additional R-22, it may be available only at very high cost, since it is no longer being manufactured. At some point, remaining stockpiles of R-22 will be expended and this refrigerant will not be available at all.
Here are your options:
- You may opt to wait until your aging R-22 air conditioner requires service that includes adding refrigerant. At that point, you’ll be faced with an extremely high repair cost or, more likely, discover that the unit cannot be repaired at any cost because R-22 is completely unavailable. This will mean total AC replacement at a time when it may not be convenient to do without cool comfort.
- You may take proactive steps to get ahead of the issue and replace your aging R-22 unit now with a new R-410A air conditioner. This ensures that you receive the increased efficiency, reliability, and advanced technology of a new air conditioner immediately, without the continuing worry of keeping an obsolete unit that cannot be repaired operating over the long, hot Ohio summer ahead.
For professional advice about the current issues related to AC refrigerant, contact Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area