What Will Happen to R22 and How Does it Affect You

If you don’t know what R22 is and your air conditioner is five years or older, you should keep reading. Refrigerant is what keeps the air coming from your air conditioning system cool, so it’s obviously extremely important. Most AC systems older than 10 years use an A/C refrigerant called R22. This refrigerant started being used in the 1950s and became the predominant AC refrigerant in the residential heating and air conditioning industry.

By the 1980s the world discovered that R22 refrigerants were contributing to the depletion of the Earth’s ozone layer. Not cool. So the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in cooperation with other agencies and groups, began a phase-out of many ozone-depleting agents, including R22 refrigerant.

By the beginning of 2010 the creation and import of R22 would be outlawed. The loophole was existing equipment were considered a special case. So the production and import stopped, but R22 was still available for sell and use until the beginning of 2015. Then, by 2020, R22 would practically no longer be applied, at least in the U.S.

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

• R22 is not manufactured anymore in North America
• You can get recycled R22 currently to service existing heating and cooling systems that uses this specific AC refrigerant
• The amount charged for R22 is rising because of the short supply, and will no longer be available for use at all by 2020

So what do you do?

If your HVAC system 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, especially if it’s older than a decade, you have a couple options:

1) Purchase an upgraded, more environmentally-friendly system, which uses the approved air conditioner refrigerant.

2) Update parts in your current air conditioning system to make it compatible with approved air conditioning refrigerant. We do not recommend this option as it could void your warranty(ies).

3) Stick with using recycled R22 until 2020.

The simplest option is to invest in an upgraded AC system, especially if your current air conditioner is already over 10 years old. Although making an unanticipated purchase may not be the easiest choice, McKinley Heating Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning has many financing options that help make the investment very affordable. A new system will also be more efficient and give you better comfort, helping to lower your energy bills.

The next option would vary in price and isn’t a lasting option. You could have your system modified by an HVAC expert and change over to an approved AC refrigerant. This entails quite a bit more than just flushing out the equipment and adding new AC refrigerant; it also requires that you replace the existing parts with new, compatible parts. Your manufacturer may not cover the parts to make this switch because retrofitting your AC system will likely void the warranty. It’s also not a long-term answer and may only give you a few more years of use. It’s a short-term fix, and could be less expensive than a new air conditioner today, but buying a new upgraded air conditioning unit will probably benefit most homeowners in dependability, satisfaction, and long-term comfort.

The final alternative is to keep doing what you’re doing. You can continue to use recycled R22 air conditioning refrigerant for the foreseeable future. While this may appear to be a great option, you run into a few issues. The cost of servicing old R22 AC equipment is starting to exceed several hundred dollars (basically a down payment on a new air conditioning unit). You may also see the prices rise as demand continues to rise on a chemical that is no longer made or widely available.

If you aren’t certain what type of AC refrigerant your AC system uses, we are happy to help. Call McKinley Heating Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning today and we can provide 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 conditioning system that was built before 2010, your AC will probably have R-22. But, if you purchased your air conditioner after January 1, 2010, then your unit may not have R22. You can lookup the type of refrigerant your system runs on by inspecting the appliance’s nameplate. This nameplate is often found on the outdoor condenser of your central air conditioning system. Alternatively, you can open your user’s manual or call your local Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) service company.

We know that the process of switching over to an approved AC refrigerant can be frustrating, but it’s saving the environment and saving our air.