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

Depending on when your air conditioner was put in, it may require R-22, R-410A or R-32 refrigerant. We’ll discuss the differences and which air conditioner refrigerants are being phased out in Macon, plus how these phaseouts impact you.

What’s R-22 and Why Is It Discontinued?

If your air conditioner was put in before 2010, it likely contains Freon®. You can discover if your air conditioner uses it by contacting us at 478-202-3170. You can also inspect the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is situated outside your home. This sticker will contain details on what model of refrigerant your AC needs.

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 governs refrigerants in the United States, barred its manufacture 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 fine, you can continue to run it. With regular air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your air conditioning to run around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy notes that removing a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on summertime cooling bills!

If you don’t install a new air conditioner, it may lead to difficulties if you have to have air conditioning repair in the future, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs can be higher-priced, because only small amounts of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is on hand.

With the end of R-22, most new air conditioners now rely on Puron®. Also called R-410A, this refrigerant was developed to keep the ozone layer healthy. Since it needs a different pressure level, it doesn’t work with air conditioners that rely on R-22 for cooling.

However, Puron still has the likelihood to lead to global warming. As a result, it could also ultimately be phased out. Although it hasn’t been mandated yet for residential air conditioners, it’s expected sometime this decade.

What Refrigerant Will Take the Place of R-410A?

In preparation of the discontinuation, some brands have initiated using R-32 in new air conditioners. This refrigerant rates low for global warming potential—about one-third less than R-410A. And it also decreases 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 cooling expenses.

Air Temperature Control Can Assist with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In brief, the changes to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t concern you a whole lot until you have to have repairs. But as we went over earlier, repairs connected to refrigerant can be more expensive since there are the restricted amounts on hand.

In addition to that, your air conditioner usually stops working at the worst time, frequently on the warmest day when we’re receiving lots of other requests for AC repair.

If your air conditioner uses a discontinued refrigerant or is getting old, we recommend installing a new, energy-efficient air conditioner. This ensures a stress-free summer and may even decrease your cooling bills, especially if you choose an ENERGY STAR®-rated model. Plus, Air Temperature Control provides many financing programs to make your new air conditioner fit your budget. Contact us at 478-202-3170 to start right away with a free estimate.