How much do you know about refrigerant? If you’re a savvy homeowner, you might know that refrigerant is the substance that your AC uses to transfer heat from the inside of your home to the outside. Or, you might just be comfortable knowing it’s in your AC and it just “helps” with the cooling process. Regardless of how involved you’d like to be in the cooling process of your AC, it’s important to know what refrigerant is.
That being said, do you know what type of refrigerant your AC uses? Now we’re getting into the juicy part of this blog post. Different air conditioners utilize different types of refrigerant, and if you’ve got an older system, there’s a small chance that it uses R-22 refrigerant which was phased out in 2020. This is important to remember so you’re not surprised when you call for air conditioning repair in Plano, TX and a technician tells you how obscene the price might be for a refrigerant recharge!
What Is R-22 Refrigerant?
R-22 refrigerant is more well known as “Freon,” which is a type of refrigerant that has been used for generations—since the invention of the air conditioner! While it’s effective at transferring heat, it’s also incredibly toxic to the atmosphere.
R-22 has contributed to the degradation of the ozone layer and it’s a material that’s not particularly sustainable. The more air conditioners that use R-22, the more harm is being done to the environment. That being said, there’s a pretty simple solution to this problem, and that’s the invention of “Puron,” which is a refrigerant also known as R-410A!
R-410A Refrigerant: A Necessary Upgrade
R-410A is a refrigerant that is just as good at transferring heat as R-22, except for the fact that it’s a lot less dense and doesn’t do as much damage to the environment as its predecessor. This means that as newer air conditioners get more energy-efficient, they’re also getting more environmentally friendly, using substances that are better for the atmosphere and don’t eat away at the ozone layer.
In January 2020, Freon was phased out through a nationwide program that aimed at eliminating that type of refrigerant from being created and utilized. While air conditioners in our area might still use Freon, it’s going to become increasingly difficult to have that system repaired and recharged with refrigerant. Not only is it going to be difficult, but it could also be extremely expensive to have an R-22-based AC system repaired.
What Does This Mean for You and Your AC?
Basically, think of this blog post as a PSA to check your air conditioner’s refrigerant type. If it’s R-22, then now would be the perfect time to consider investing in a system upgrade so you can avoid inconveniences in the future and an incredibly expensive repair bill down the line.
Don’t worry; there’s no need to panic. Most air conditioners in the past 20 years have been constructed with R-410A in mind. So it’s very likely that you’re already all set. But it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Contact Aire Texas Heating and Air Conditioning for all your Plano AC service needs. Doing it right the first time, every time!
