Summer is聽on the horizon聽and that means聽grilling,聽baseball, and warmer weather. It also means聽air conditioner聽season and this summer聽air conditioning system聽repairs will come with聽skyrocketing聽costs for the refrigerant R22, more commonly known as Freon™.
奥别听诲颈蝉肠耻蝉蝉别诲听迟丑别听R22 phase out聽earlier this year, and聽production聽of R22 refrigerant has already聽dropped聽by 90%. By 2020, production will be聽discontinued. Homeowners, as a result,聽face the聽challenge聽of whether to repair or to replace聽a聽system using R22 refrigerant from both a聽financial聽and environmental perspective.
The R22 phase out has added new聽factors to consider if you are thinking about聽repairing or replacing your聽A/C system. For instance, some refrigerant聽manufacturers聽are selling聽lower price聽alternatives to R22, often聽described as聽“drop-in” replacement refrigerant, but those聽replacements聽are cheaper only in the short run.
“Lennox¨, one of the leading聽A/C system聽manufacturers, has聽offered聽research that shows these聽lower cost聽alternate refrigerants are not聽compatible聽with the lubricating oil used in R22聽systems,” said Dave Moody, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at 天美传媒 Heating and Air Conditioning. “Recharging older聽A/C systems聽with these alternative refrigerants聽might聽actually damage the聽system聽and create more聽expensive聽problems. These so called drop-in refrigerants will also聽void聽any applicable manufacturer’s warranty.”
Because of the R22 phase out, the聽heating and cooling聽industry is seeing the cost to repair older聽air conditioners聽needing additional R22 refrigerant聽increase聽by 300% to 400%, and that cost is only expected to聽increase聽as summer聽gets closer.
New聽air conditioners聽use the more environmentally friendly R410A refrigerant, a different refrigerant that cannot be聽combined聽or used in an existing聽air conditioner聽or heat pump designed for R22. Currently, reclamation and recycling of R22 is expected to be聽satisfactory聽for existing systems,聽of course聽at a much higher cost,聽giving homeowners聽time to upgrade聽equipment聽before the phase-out period.
“Homeowners聽don't have聽to replace their聽entire system聽now, but it’s聽important聽for them to know their options in this situation,” added Moody. “It’s聽crucial聽to know you can’t聽mix聽R22 and R410A. When a new R410A system is installed,聽both the outdoor equipment and coil聽need replacing, and the interconnecting refrigerant tubing needs inspecting.聽These newer systems are聽often far more energy-efficient and can聽seriously聽save on energy costs, sound pollution, or even utilize alternative energy sources like solar energy.”
The聽common聽life-span of many home聽A/C systems聽is聽eight to ten聽years, which will help homeowners determine the cost benefit of either paying the聽premium聽price for R22 to repair older聽systems, versus upgrading.聽More聽benefits to upgrading include the opportunity to take advantage of energy rebates being offered and聽improving聽your home’s energy efficiency. New聽units聽will also have longer warranty periods,聽quieter聽operation, and the peace of mind of a more ozone-friendly refrigerant, not to mention聽greater聽home comfort through more advanced technology.
To聽find out聽about your repair or replacement聽options, call聽天美传媒聽today at (866) 963-7996 today.
