Chapman Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing Offers Key Inputs On The R-22 (Freon) Refrigerant Phase-Out

There’s a good chance that, for the past few years, users have been hearing HVAC contractors talk about the R-22 phase-out or the ‘Freon’ phase-out, especially if they own an AC system that still relies on it. But what even is the phase-out? And how does it impact users? Chapman Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing is here to clue everybody in on it.

What Is R-22 Refrigerant?

Nearly all modern cooling systems rely on a refrigerant loop, in order to cool homes

Nearly all modern cooling systems rely on a refrigerant loop, in order to cool homes. The refrigerant cycles between the evaporator, condenser and the compressor, in order to essentially, move warm air out of the home and replace it with cool air.

There are many different types of refrigerants and for a very long time, the most commonly used of these refrigerants was the chemical R-22, commonly known under the name of the company that produced it, Freon.

In terms of efficiency and production speed, R-22 refrigerant was great. However, it is also an HFC (hydrofluorocarbon), which has been identified as a major contributor to ozone depletion, among other problems, including high toxicity and a tendency to degrade.

R-22 refrigerant phase-out

Because of the sheer weight of its negative properties and the impact that it is having on the environment, the EPA selected to steadily remove the use of Freon in an R-22 refrigerant phase-out. In fact, nations worldwide are following suit, in what is known as the Montreal Protocol agreement. The process has been a slow and steady one, starting way back in 2010 and by 2020, R-22 will no longer be accessible to anyone, either via production or import.

What this means, for home owners, is that if their current air conditioner or heat pump uses R-22 refrigerant still, then it is going to become exponentially more difficult (and more expensive) to find replacement refrigerant and it may be wise to talk to their HVAC contractor about an AC replacement.

When to replace R-22 refrigerant

The answer to when to replace an air conditioner, if still using R-22 refrigerant will partially depend on when the cooling system was installed. Any system installed before 2010 is likely to be using R-22 refrigerant, while more recent systems could be using alternatives.

But for home owners still using R-22, the need to replace the air conditioner is not immediate. However, there are some things they need to be aware of going forward. The price of R-22 refrigrant has skyrocketed in the past decade and it is becoming scarce already. This basically means:

• That refrigerant leaks are going to become prohibitively expensive.
• In a few years, replacing the refrigerant will become impossible without a retrofit.

R410a refrigerant, a good replacement

In fact, home owners stand to gain substantially from replacing R-22 refrigerant soon

However, this is not all bad news. In fact, home owners stand to gain substantially from replacing R-22 refrigerant soon. The available alternatives for R-22 use are more modern technology and options like R410a refrigerant, which have already shown advantages in system efficiency and performance.

Also, including the fact that an AC system installed 10+ years ago is already approaching the due date for a replacement and home owners are in a solid position to replace their air conditioner at just the right time.

Reliable HVAC servicing

Chapman Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing make it their business to provide clients with affordable, professional services and solutions.

For home owners looking to dodge the upcoming surge in the cost of repairing a unit that uses R-22 refrigerant, Chapman is there to help with their AC installation services that work to remove stress and save money.