If your HVAC system was installed before 2010, it most likely uses R22 or Freon as the refrigerant. In fact, a refrigerant plays an important part in the HVAC system by cooling the air that comes out of your air conditioner and making your home comfortable. But the Environmental Protection Agency or the EPA in the United States began phasing out R22 after it was found to deplete the Earth’s ozone layer. In 2010, the United States Government prohibited the production and importation of R22. But it was allowed to be produced in limited quantities in order to service the existing equipment. But once the phasing out is completed in January 2020, R22 will no longer be available even for servicing the existing HVAC units.
What if your air conditioner stops blowing cold air? There might be several reasons for this type of defect. In fact, one of the main reasons could be a refrigerant leak. In the past, filling R22 in your HVAC system didn’t cost so much money. But things have changed with the phasing out of R22. If you are charged around $80 to $115 per pound of R22, you may think that you are getting ripped off. But you are not alone since the real problem lies in the supply-demand equation. The phasing out of R22 has increased the price of the substance. In fact, suppliers who have stocked the refrigerant are taking advantage of the supply and demand situation to increase the price of R22. R22 is sold at exorbitant prices today due to the phasing out of the substance in 2020. The production of R22 was reduced by 75% in 2010. The production was further reduced in 2015 – up to 90%. Hence, only 10% of R22 is being produced right now. That is why the rising cost of freon has tremendously increased in the last couple of years. On the other hand, you won’t find R22 even at exorbitant prices after the substance is completely banned in 2020.
The high price for a pound of R22 is basically because there is less refrigerant to go around. But people who use R22 systems still need the refrigerant to fill their systems when there is a refrigerant leak. That is why you should be considering alternative refrigerants for your HVAC system before R22 is completely phased out in January 2020.
There are so many alternative refrigerants on the market today. But there are many advantages as well as disadvantages of using these replacement refrigerants. Here are some factors that you need to consider if you decide to use an alternative refrigerant in your HVAC system.
. Most of the alternative refrigerants are not compatible with your existing systems. Hence, you may have to make changes to your existing system before using an alternative refrigerant in the unit. This isn’t viable in case you have an older system. You can easily replace the entire unit with a unit that is compatible with one of the alternative refrigerants on the market.
. In case you have a fairly new system that uses R22, replacing R22 with another refrigerant will void the warranty of the system. That is because most manufacturers haven’t approved the use of alternative refrigerants in their systems. You should be taking these things into consideration when planning to shift to an alternative refrigerant for your HVAC systems.
Preventive maintenance can help prevent refrigerant leaks. If you have a fairly new system, you can use it for a longer time if you maintain the unit properly. That way you won’t have to replace the refrigerant in the system unless there is a leak in the future. When there is a refrigerant leak, you may consider replacing the entire unit with an alternative refrigerant compatible unit – that is if you have been using an older system. If not, you can fill your system with an alternative refrigerant that is compatible with the existing unit. The best thing is to hire a professional and NATE-certified technician to advise you whether you need to replace or repair the existing air conditioner unit. On the other hand, if you decide to invest in a new HVAC system in your home or office, you should take advantage of the federal Energy Star tax credits – which you can easily save up to $300 in the process. That way you will have an air conditioner that is more energy efficient, eco-friendly, and save money in the long run.
There are many things to consider when choosing an alternative refrigerant for your HVAC unit. A qualified and experienced HVAC technician is the best person to advise you on the right type of unit for your home or office. Make sure that you perform extensive research before choosing the right technician for the job. TdX 20 is considered one of the best replacement refrigerants on the market today. That is due to the many advantages offered by the substance. Many technicians are recommending TdX 20 as the preferred refrigerant to replace R22 when the latter is completely phased out in January 2020.
TdX 20 will increase the performance of your HVAC unit by at least 5-25%. That is due to the decrease in amp draw. In fact, the refrigerant will decrease the amp draw by at least 5-25%. The daily runtime of the HVAC units will also be reduced from 20 to 90 minutes – which is considered a major reduction. In fact, peak load times will be much easier to handle since the energy consumption will be lowered during such times. That is why you need to consider replacing R22 with TdX 20 before the former is completely phased out in January 2020. In case your HVAC system was installed before 2010, it should be using R22 as the refrigerant. R22 is quite expensive right now.