Are Air Conditioning Refrigerants Being Phased Out?

You might not think often about how your air conditioner operates, but it relies on refrigerant to keep your residence cool. This refrigerant is controlled by environmental regulation, as it contains chemicals.

Depending on when your air conditioner was installed, 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 Los Angeles, plus how these phaseouts affect you.

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

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010, it probably has Freon®. You can discover if your air conditioner contains it by calling us at 800-296-5088. You can also inspect the name plate on your air conditioner condenser, which is located outside your residence. This sticker will include details on what type of refrigerant your AC uses.

Freon, which is also called R-22, has chlorine. Scientists consider this chemical to be damaging to the earth’s ozone layer and one that leads to global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency, which governs refrigerants in the United States, banned its creation and import in January 2020.

I Have a R-22 Air Conditioner. Should I Replace It?

It depends. If your air conditioning is running fine, you can continue to run it. With regular air conditioner maintenance, you can expect your system to run around 15–20 years. However, the Department of Energy reports that removing a 10-year-old air conditioner could save you 20–40% on annual cooling costs!

If you don’t replace your air conditioner, it may cause difficulties if you require air conditioning repair later on, specifically for refrigerant. Repairs could be more expensive, because only small levels of recycled and reclaimed R-22 is accessible.

With the phaseout of R-22, many new air conditioners now rely on Puron®. Also referred to as R-410A, this refrigerant was made to keep the ozone layer healthy. As it calls for an incompatible pressure level, it doesn’t match air conditioners that use R-22 for cooling.

However, Puron still has the likelihood to create global warming. As a consequence, it may also eventually be phased out. 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 phaseout, some companies have initiated 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 lowers energy use by around 10%, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. That’s savings that could be forwarded on to you through your utility bills.

AZ Air Conditioning and Heating Can Assist with All Your Air Conditioning Needs

In summary, the modifications to air conditioner refrigerant probably won’t affect you greatly until you have to have repairs. But as we went over previously, refrigerant-related repairs can be more expensive since there are the low levels available.

In addition to that, your air conditioner typically malfunctions at the worst time, typically on the muggiest day when we’re getting lots of other calls for AC repair.

If your air conditioner uses a discontinued refrigerant or is aging, we advise getting an up-to-date, energy-efficient air conditioner. This provides a stress-free summer and could even decrease your utility expenses, especially if you get an ENERGY STAR®-rated model. Plus, AZ Air Conditioning and Heating offers many financing solutions to make your new air conditioner work with your budget. Contact us at 800-296-5088 to get started right away with a free estimate.