The clock is running out for old air conditioning systems that use R-22 refrigerant. If you aren’t certain what the R-22 phaseout is or how it affects your air conditioning system, here’s a quick rundown:
R-22, sometimes called Freon (a brand name), is an outdated refrigerant blend that was used for decades in air conditioning systems. Because R-22 creates ozone-depleting substances, the US Environmental Protection Agency started a process of gradually phasing-out use of this refrigerant blend to replace it with R-410A (a.k.a. Puron), which is not only healthier for the environment, but is a more efficient refrigerant blend for heat transfer.
The phase-out is now reaching its conclusion. As of 2020, professional HVAC technicians will no longer be permitted to use R-22 for any repairs to air conditioning systems, even using reclaimed refrigerant. So this means…
If You Have an Old R-22 Air Conditioning System, It’s Time to Replace It!
You don’t want to be trapped with an R-22 air conditioning system next year. If the AC starts to lose refrigerant, you won’t have any choice at that point except to have it replaced. R-410A cannot be used in an older refrigerant that wasn’t designed for it.
Rather than be stuck with an emergency replacement job in the middle of a summer heat wave, we recommend you get ahead of the problem by installing a new air conditioning system during the spring, before the heat ramps up. It’s more convenient and you’ll have extra time to make a choice from the central air conditioning systems in Staten Island, NY available to you.
How to Know If You Have an R-22 System
If you aren’t sure if your old air conditioner uses R-22 or not, it’s simple to find out. Locate the metal plate on the back of the condenser cabinet of the air conditioner (the outside cabinet). Along with the other data about the system on this plate, it will contain the refrigerant type it uses, either R-22 or R-410A. If you can’t find the info, please call our office with the model number and we can figure out what type of refrigerant your cooling system uses.
Even Without the R-22 Phaseout, A New Air Conditioner Is a Good Idea
As part of the phaseout, no air conditioners using R-22 were permitted to be manufactured after 2010. Most air conditioning companies ceased production on them years earlier. So chances are that if you have an R-22 unit, it’s more than 15 years old and needs to retire no matter what.
Making the change to a new R-410A model of air conditioning system not only gives you a new start with an AC that can be repaired if there’s ever a refrigerant leak, it will also have higher energy efficiency than your old R-22 system had even when it was new. Even if R-22 wasn’t getting entirely shutdown because of the phaseout, we would still strongly recommend you replace that old unit.
We’re here to help! We have a long history of working with all types of air conditioning systems, and we’ll see that you have the best new unit heading into the future.
Bob Mims Heating & Air Conditioning has served Staten Island since 1955. Schedule an air conditioning system replacement with us.
