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R22 Refrigerant Change: What You Need To Know

Changing Refrigerant

R22 is a common refrigerant that used to be the most popular choice for HVAC systems. However, due to the damage R22 inflicts on the ozone layer and environment, it’ll be phased out entirely by 2020. Does your home in Fayetteville, North Carolina, have an HVAC system that uses R22 refrigerant? Here’s everything you need to know about the changeover:

Potential Costs

With the changeover comes some associated costs. The sale of new systems that use R22 has been illegal since 2010, but it has remained available for servicing existing systems. As of January 1, 2020, no more R22 will be produced in or imported by the United States. Only existing stock and recycled R22 can be used. There will be a rapidly dwindling supply of the product. Therefore, any repairs that require replenishing your system’s R22 refrigerant will jump up in cost. In addition, as R22 units become rarer, repair costs for this type of system may go up too.

Replacement Product

For air conditioning units, the best replacement for R22 is R410A. This product is far more environmentally friendly and will dramatically reduce the damage caused by refrigerant leaks. R410A doesn’t cost any more than R22 and may end up being far cheaper as R22 supplies dwindle.

Plus, R410A is a lot more efficient and works better than R22 at keeping your system running as it should. With better efficiency and effectiveness, R410A is an excellent substitute for R22. You may even see your utility costs drop when you make the switch to a new system.

Buy New Versus Keeping Current

Many homeowners don’t want to bother with replacing their HVAC system until needed. However, we’d recommend purchasing a new system as soon as possible. Once the ban takes full effect, there may be a surge in demand for R410A systems. As a result, prices may go up. Unfortunately, R22 systems can’t use R410A. The new refrigerant requires more pressure that HVAC units engineered for R22.

Are you ready to change to an R410A-compatible system ? Give Bass Air Conditioning Company a call at (910) 909-4535 . We can help you find the perfect HVAC system for your needs.

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