Your AC聽unit聽uses a chemical refrigerant to聽shift聽humidity聽within your聽house聽outside. This makes your聽house聽chilly聽and聽relaxing. The聽type聽of refrigerant used in聽your the U.S house's air conditioner聽has聽been modified聽several聽times聽over the years,聽keeping in touch with聽technology聽advances聽and environmental聽considerations.
All聽new聽home聽air conditioners聽in聽the U.S.聽R410a, also聽referred to聽as Puron. But this refrigerant will聽subsequently聽no longer be made. This is聽due to聽a聽continued聽focus聽on聽restricting聽chemicals聽known to聽negatively affect聽the environment.
To聽find out聽the “why”聽behind聽air conditioning聽restrictions,聽it's useful聽to put it into perspective. Two-thirds of the 128.5 million聽residences聽in the聽United States聽have聽air conditioners, according to the U.S Department of Energy.
But it’s not聽actually聽the聽air conditioning system聽itself, or even its cooling聽performance.
The聽main problem聽is the refrigerant聽this equipment聽need聽to聽produce聽the聽cooling聽we enjoy.
Installed after 2010
If your聽system聽was聽after January 1, 2010, it聽likely聽runs on聽R410a. And there’s聽a lot聽of time for you to聽get ready聽for the phaseout. So, it’s not聽an issue聽you should be聽bothered聽about聽at this time.
Strategies聽and聽schedules聽have been聽determined聽for commercial聽cooling聽equipment. But the聽of the phaseout for residential聽air conditioning聽systems hasn’t yet been聽determined. However, the phaseout could聽start聽around 2024 and take 10 years to聽complete.
At that date, you聽might聽need to聽buy a new聽your聽unit聽anyway,聽as聽the聽average聽life聽span聽for聽an air conditioning聽system is聽typically聽15 years.
Installed Before 2010
This聽because of聽isn’t being聽made聽at this time, but there are still聽many聽the U.S.聽residential聽air conditioning聽systems聽that use聽R22. If you聽have to get聽work, it聽might聽be very聽expensive聽as聽only聽reacquired聽and recycled refrigerant is聽available.
Most of the time, we聽recommend聽installing a new聽your聽system聽due to聽the聽rising聽expenses聽of聽keeping up聽an air conditioner聽with R22.聽In addition, you’ll be聽gaining聽energy-efficient聽system.
Reach our Experts聽at聽right away聽and we’ll help you聽begin聽finding聽model.
How Do I聽Determine聽What Kind聽Refrigerant My AC Uses?
If you’re聽not sure聽what聽type聽of refrigerant your聽air conditioner聽runs on, you can聽check聽its聽panel. This piece is聽found聽on the聽outdoor聽condenser. Or you can聽check聽your owner’s manual.
If聽you're still not able to聽find聽it,聽the U.S.聽residents should聽contact聽us at聽and聽our Experts聽can聽help.
Why are Refrigerants聽Damaging聽to the Environment?
Older聽types聽of refrigerants can聽harm聽the聽environment聽and聽contribute to聽climate change. Here’s a聽glance聽at the history of residential air conditioner refrigerants:
- Residential air conditioners have聽run with聽R22, or Freon, for聽many years.聽Scientists聽found聽it was聽聽and ozone, so聽creation聽permanently聽stopped聽on January 1, 2020.
- R410a is the聽alternative聽for R22. It’s what you’ll聽see聽in all new聽air conditioning systems聽now.
What Should I Do聽for Now?
If your聽AC聽is聽near聽(or older than) 15 years, now’s a聽great聽time to聽get started聽prepping聽for聽replacement.
We聽understand聽that聽getting a new聽system can be a聽big聽expense. That’s why we聽provide聽our exclusive聽Advantage Program™聽unit聽financing, With our Advantage Program, you can聽receive聽, high-efficiency system for聽only聽one聽little聽monthly payment. And聽maintenance, repairs and parts at no聽additional聽cost.*
Call聽us at聽to聽air conditioner聽an聽appointment聽right away. We’ll聽discuss聽your budget and needs to help you聽choose聽the聽ideal聽comfort聽solution聽for your聽house.
