When the dog days of summer hit and the thermometer is creeping up towards triple digits, we all thank our lucky stars for the cooling relief that our air conditioning systems bring us. People love their air conditioner for keeping them cool, but do you know exactly how it keeps you cool?
The key is refrigerant. This fluid flows through the coils inside your air conditioner and converts the hot air flowing into your system into cool air before it gets blown into your home by fans. The miraculous power of refrigerant can help give you and your family relief on even the hottest days of the year, but over the years it has been revealed that it has come at a price.
Many types of refrigerant have been shown to create emissions that contribute to the destruction of the Earth’s ozone layer and global warming. Because of this, several different kinds of refrigerants have become banned or restricted over the past few decades, recently including R22 refrigerant which was a very commonly used refrigerant in air conditioning systems built and installed before 2010.
In January 2020, the EPA banned remaining production and importing R22 refrigerant products. While owning and servicing these systems is perfectly fine and legal, HVAC professionals will have to do so from the remaining stockpile, which is rapidly depleting. By January 2030, the goal is to have R22 refrigerant phased out completely.
If your home’s air conditioning system was made before 2010, there is a good chance that it is still relying on R22 refrigerant. While this doesn’t present a problem for you at this moment (environmental impact aside), the increased phasing out of R22 reliant products should spur homeowners to begin thinking about alternatives.
Here are three reasons why you should replace your R22 refrigerant cooling system soon.
Servicing R22 refrigerant cooling systems will get very costly
As we mentioned, the R22 refrigerant ban won’t stop you from continuing to use your current cooling system. However, maintaining your system over the next few years is likely to become more and more costly.
Because of the ban, HVAC service providers have access to a limited and quickly decreasing supply of R22 refrigerant to use for repairs and replacement. What that means for you is any future repairs or maintenance on your current cooling system that involves R22 is going to come with a sizable cost. It is simple supply and demand, and as supply reserves continue to decrease the cost is only going to keep climbing.
Upgrading and replacing your cooling system with a non-R22 reliant system now allows you to equip your home with a more reliable one that will be significantly more easier to maintain over the next decade than one that is. It will also let you get out ahead of any uncomfortable situation where you are stuck with a broken R22 refrigerant AC system in the middle of summer that you are unable to fix.
Plus with the many financing options available, the investment of installing a brand new system can be much easier and affordable than you might expect.
New cooling systems are more efficient
Replacing your R22 refrigerant cooling system can prove to save you more money in the long run than simply avoiding costly repairs. Because of their age, many cooling systems manufactured and installed prior to 2010 lack the features and benefits of more modern systems, particularly their energy efficiency.
Modern cooling systems that don’t rely on R22 refrigerant have also been designed to work and cool more efficiently. Requiring less energy to provide better performance will start making an impact each month on your energy bills. While the initial investment in a new cooling system is larger, the ability to save money in the long run certainly helps lessen the heartburn.
So just to recap, a new cooling system can save you money on future repairs and your monthly bills while allowing you to take advantage of other advanced features like smart connectivity to your smart devices so you can better control your home’s cooling. If your old R22 refrigerant system is anywhere near its last legs, making the change as soon as possible is the most logical move.
R22 refrigerant alternatives are more environmentally friendly
Since the revelation of the negative environmental impact caused by many refrigerants, steps have been taken to find environmentally-friendly and affordable refrigerant alternatives for air conditioning and cooling systems to be able to safely provide the relief from the heat people rely on.
As a result, more environmentally-friendly refrigerants, such as R32 refrigerant, have now become more commonplace in newer cooling systems. While no refrigerant solution is without its pros and cons, R32 has good stability, is readily available, very energy efficient, and has an ozone depletion potential (ODP) of zero, making it one of the more environmentally friendly options available.
By making the switch away from older R22 reliant systems, you not only open yourself to the potential of saving money and using energy more efficiently, but you also are doing your part to protect the world around you from further harm.
Ready to say goodbye to your old air conditioning or cooling system and say hello to a newer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly one? Hoosier Indoor Air is an Indianapolis Bryant-certified dealer with flexible financing options available on air conditioning equipment replacement. Call (317) 466-7437 today to schedule an appointment and learn more about your heating and cooling options.
