The heating and cooling industry has made a number of strides to make products and whole home systems that are more energy efficient and less problematic for the environment. Specific to the cooling industry, it was found about 20 years ago that Freon, the brand name for R-22 refrigerant which was used for many years in air conditioning systems, was a large contributor to problems with the ozone layer. Specifically, Freon emits greenhouse gases. Since that time, a number of mandates have rolled out according to a specific time frame to reduce and eventually eliminate R-22 completely. How will this affect you? Let’s take a look.
End Date: 2020
If you have an air conditioning system that uses R-22, you’ve likely felt the effect of the phase-out already: as of 2010, R-22 can only be produced for use in repairs, not in manufacturing. Since 2010, air conditioners could not be produced using R-22. As such, the production of R-22 has gone down significantly, causing its price to increase significantly. You would feel this pinch if your R-22-using AC has needed a refrigerant recharge due to a leak or other issue.
The biggest date yet to come is January 1, 2020. This is the official date when all production of R-22 will cease entirely. Simply put, there won’t be any more Freon available, period. Unfortunately, you can’t use another kind of refrigerant in your air conditioner if it was manufactured to operate with R-22. This means you’ll need to prepare for a replacement AC.
Get Ahead of the Curve
If your existing air conditioner uses R-22, then your system is already 5 years old. And if you’ve had to make repairs due to a refrigerant leak, you likely saw that the cost was much higher than usual. While you don’t have to replace your air conditioner now, you will have to replace it in the imminent future – so why not start looking? You have a good amount of time to review the wide range of options available to you, and you may find that a replacement AC will provide you with more benefits that your current one does.
The phase-out isn’t here yet, but it is coming. If you need help choosing a replacement AC for your home in Longwood, FL, call the air conditioning pros at Certified Air Systems, Inc.
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