What You Should Know About Your AC's Refrigerant

- 8:49 am - April 5th, 2019

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When it comes to your air conditioning equipment, there are some important changes on the horizon – and we want you to be aware of them! Did you know that the production of R-22, a refrigerant that has been found to contain gases which deplete the ozone layer when released to the atmosphere, is scheduled to come to a complete stop in less than a year? As of January 2020, new supplies of R-22 refrigerant will no longer be available.

What does this mean for you?

When air conditioning systems need a refrigerant charge, if they still utilize R-22 refrigerant, the cost of the charge could increase as supplies decrease. Once R-22 is no longer available, any equipment using it will be obsolete.

How do you know if an AC uses R-22 refrigerant?

If an air conditioning system was installed before 2010, there’s a chance it utilizes R-22. After 2010, all air conditioning manufacturers switched over to a more environmentally friendly refrigerant called R-410A.

What should you do?

The smartest move homeowners can make is to upgrade their air conditioning systems to models that utilize R-410A refrigerant sooner, rather than later. The benefits are two-fold: First, they’re avoiding any price hikes if their system happens to need a charge and it still uses R-22 refrigerant after January 2020. Second, if an AC system was installed before 2010, it’s nearly a decade old and upgrading to a new, high-efficiency system could potentially save folks up to 30% on their energy costs.

If you have any questions about these changes, please don’t hesitate to contact us online or give us a call. And remember, while system upgrades are more effective, protecting your AC with our comprehensive Air Conditioning Service Agreement also helps improve its efficiency and prevent mid-summer breakdowns. Sign up today!