R-22 Phased out

Wednesday, 22 December 2010 22:25

R-22 Refrigerant was used for the past four decades in all HVAC Equipment.  However, on January 1, 2010 the EPA banned all production of HVAC equipment with R-22 as its refrigerant.  This is due largely in part to the HCFC's (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) that are produced as a result of producing R-22.  These HCFC's deplete the ozone and contribute to global warming when they are released from a cooling system that contains refrigerant leaks.  R-410 is the new refrigerant being used in all new HVAC equipment and is considered a "green" refrigerant as it is environmental friendly.

But what if someone installed a R-22 System or condenser (outside unit) in your home AFTER January 1, 2010?  This is OK, most distributors and dealers had a good stock of R-22 that was produced BEFORE the nationwide ban was put into effect, which allows these systems to be installed.  R-22 refrigerant is still being produced to allow for the service and repair of the large population of R-22 systems still in use.

Consumers should know that by January 1, 2020 the EPA demands that 99.5% of all R-22 refrigerant production be stopped.  This means that consumers still using an R-22 system have about 9 years left in their systems (even longer should their unit not need any refrigerant replacement after the final ban) this is possible, but not likely as most systems have an average life of 10-15 years depending on usage and maintenance.