Most air conditioning systems in the United States use R22, an industry-standard refrigerant. Until recently, R22 was plentiful, inexpensive, and readily available for recharging air conditioning systems with waning cooling capacity. This has begun to change, however, and indications are that R22 will become enormously expensive until it is no longer available in 2020.
The U.S. government has determined that R22 , sometimes known as HCFC-22 , is harmful to the environment because it contributions to ozone depletion. The Clean Air Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, requires that R22 must be eliminated by the year 2020. At this time, it will no longer be manufactured and can no longer be used as a refrigerant in air conditioning systems. R22 must be replaced by the safer R410A , which will become the standard refrigerant in air conditioning systems.
As a homeowner with a functioning air conditioning system, this regulatory requirement leaves you facing two expensive prospects. First, the cost of R22 has begun to rise and is expected to continue increasing as the 2020 deadline approaches. By the time the cut-off date arrives, R22 will likely be extraordinarily expensive.
Second, most existing air conditioners cannot use R410A. This means that the majority of air conditioners in use in 2012 — as many as 80 percent of them — will need to be completely replaced. This leaves most American homeowners with the choice of spending thousands of dollars for new equipment or being left without a home cooling system entirely.
Now may be a good time to replace your existing air conditioner with a high-efficiency model that uses R410A. High-efficiency air conditioners can be an expensive investment, but keep in mind that they offer monthly savings on cooling expenses that can be large enough to almost pay for the new system by the 2020 deadline.
Ace Hardware Home Services, Inc. has been providing quality heating and cooling services to Dayton and the surrounding area for more than 30 years. We can help you decide if you should continue to use R22 or update to a new system.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about R22 and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Ace Hardware Home Services services the Ohio’s Miami Valley. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!
