The HVAC industry is changing in order to provide a cleaner environment. Currently over half of central air conditioning units in the U.S. still use R22 refrigerant. R22, often called by its brand name Freon, is a type of gas that has been widely used in air conditioning and refrigeration systems. In recent years it has been added to the list of substances that are known for causing ozone depletion. Because of this, R22 is now being phased out of service and new air conditioning equipment is no longer allowed to use this type of gas.
R22 will stop being produced in 2020. However, air conditioning systems using R22 have stopped being produced since 2010. Today, the preferred cooling agent in AC units is R410A. This new type of refrigerant does not contribute to the depletion of the ozone and works faster and more efficiently than R22.
As remaining supplies of R22 start to run out, prices continue to rise drastically. Right now, R22 is around 800% more expensive than it ever was before.
Therefore, request that your HVAC service technicians locate and repair leaks instead of “topping off” leaking systems. This protects the ozone layer and saves you money by optimizing performance of your existing equipment. If your warranty is up on your R22 unit, consider investing in a newer R410A unit to save money and prepare for the future of air conditioning. The expense of replacing existing R22 equipment with new environmentally approved equipment may soon be less than the expense of purchasing more R22 to maintain current equipment.
For more information or to schedule an evaluation of your current air conditioning system, call 6 & Fix Heating and Cooling today.
