We told you last summer about the R22 phase out and with summer approaching, Aramendia Plumbing, Heating and Air wanted to remind you of your courses of action.
RECAP:
If you have an air conditioner installed earlier than 2010, it most likely uses R22 refrigerant, which is what keeps the air coming from your air conditioner cool and comfy. The [[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]9] began phasing out R22 refrigerant in recent years because it was compounding the depletion of the Earth’s ozone layer.
Starting in 2010, the making and importing of R22 was prohibited and by 2020, R22 will essentially no longer be allowed.
HIGHLIGHTS:
R22 refrigerant is no longer made in North America.
You can obtain recycled R22 now for existing air conditioning systems that use this specific refrigerant.
The cost of R22 is rising because of the decreasing supply, and will no longer be accessible for use at all by 2020.
GOT IT? GOOD! SO WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?
If your air conditioner was made after January 2010, the R22 refrigerant phase-out probably won’t apply to you. However, if your AC equipment was produced before January 2010, you have some options:
1) Invest in an upgraded, more environmentally-friendly system, which uses the approved air conditioner refrigerant.
2) Call an HVAC company to replace the parts in your current air conditioning system to help make it compatible with approved AC refrigerant. However, this is not recommended because it could invalidate your warranty(ies).
3) Continue to use recycled R22 until 2020.
READY TO BE DONE WITH IT?
If you don’t want to stress about the trouble of your refrigerant being phased-out, or you don’t want to agonize about the increasing costs of said refrigerant, or you just want to love the environment with a non-ozone destroying refrigerant, call Aramendia Plumbing, Heating and Air today and we’ll come out and provide you a complimentary in-home estimate on a new air conditioning system, just in time for spring!