What Will Happen to R22 and How Does it Affect You

If your air conditioner was installed before 2010 and you don’t know what R22 is then you should probably learn. Refrigerant is what keeps the air coming from your air conditioning system cool, so it’s obviously incredibly important. Most air conditioners 10 years or older use an air conditioning refrigerant called R22. This refrigerant was introduced in the 1950s and became the leading AC refrigerant in the residential HVAC industry.

Fast-forward a few decades and the world began to see that R22 refrigerants were contributing to the depletion of the Earth’s ozone layer. Not cool. So the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, along with other agencies and organizations, began a phase-out of many ozone-depleting substances, including R22 refrigerant.

By January 2010 the production and import of R22 would be banned. The loophole was current equipment were considered a special case. So the creation and import ended, but R22 was still sold and used until the start of 2015. Then, by 2020, R22 would pretty much no longer be in operation, at least in the U.S.

So here’s a quick recap before we get into what this means for you:

• R22 is no longer in production in North America
• You can get recycled R22 now to service existing heating and cooling systems that uses this specific air conditioning refrigerant
• The amount charged for R22 is rising because of the short supply, and by 2020 will no longer be available

So what does that mean for you?

If your heating and air conditioning unit was made after January 2010, the EPA refrigerant rules and regulations will probably not apply to you.

If your heating and cooling equipment was produced prior to January 2010, specifically if it’s older than a decade, you have a few options:

1) Upgrade with today’s more environmental systems, which use the approved AC refrigerant.

2) Call an expert to replace the parts in your current AC system to help make it compatible with approved air conditioner refrigerant. This is not recommended because it could void your warranty(ies).

3) Stick with using recycled R22 until 2020.

The easiest option is to purchase a new, upgraded air conditioner, especially if your current air conditioning unit is already over 10 years old. While making an unanticipated purchase may not be the easiest decision, All American Air Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning has a variety of financing options that help make the investment highly affordable. A new HVAC unit will also be more efficient and give you superior comfort, helping to reduce your energy bills.

The next choice would vary in price and isn’t a permanent option. You could have your equipment retrofitted by a heating and air conditioning expert and move over to an approved air conditioning refrigerant. This demands quite a bit more than just flushing out the air conditioner and adding new air conditioning refrigerant; it also requires new parts for the system. Your manufacturer will most likely not cover the parts to make this transition because retrofitting your air conditioner will likely void the warranty. It’s also not a permanent solution and will probably only give you a couple more years of use. It’s a short-term fix, and may be less expensive than a new air conditioner today, but purchasing a new upgraded air conditioning unit will probably benefit most homeowners in reliability, fulfillment, and long-term comfort.

The third option is to stay the status quo. You can continue to use recycled R22 air conditioning refrigerant for the foreseeable future. While this may appear to be a great alternative, you can come across a few issues. The cost of servicing old R22 A/C systems is starting to surpass several hundred dollars (basically a down payment on a new system). You could also see the prices climb as demand continues to rise on a chemical that is no longer manufactured or widely available.

If you aren’t certain what type of AC refrigerant your HVAC system uses, we can help. Call All American Air Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning today and we can give you an inspection to confirm if you are currently using R22 and, if so, which option works best for you.

Does Your HVAC Equipment Use R-22?

If you have an air conditioner that was designed before 2010, your air conditioner will almost definitely have R-22. But, if you installed your air conditioner after January 1, 2010, then your air conditioner probably doesn't have any R22. You can see the type of refrigerant your system has by looking at appliance’s nameplate. This nameplate is usually found on the outdoor condenser of your central air conditioning system. Another option, you can open your user’s manual or contact your local Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) service company.

Although the process of switching to an approved AC refrigerant can be frustration, it’s saving the environment and saving our air.