You may have come across the word R-22 refrigerant and ignored it since you thought it was one of the complicated chemicals. Well, this is the substance behind your air conditioning system, and it is being phased out due to its effect on the environment. Freon and other HFC refrigerants were very popular at one time since they were regarded to be nontoxic and nonflammable. However, advanced research deducted that they have a significant effect on the ozone layer which is a great concern in this age. The Ozone layer is a thin protective one that is located in the Earth’s stratosphere and is responsible for protecting us from a specific ray from the sun that can damage one’s DNA. Without this layer, people will start being exposed to the risk of skin cancer and other related conditions.
The phasing out of this refrigerant is not happening overnight as the first decision to set a timeline was first made in 1987. The phasing out began in 2004, and by 2010, manufacturers could not make new devices that utilize freon. This helped to reduce its usage significantly, and by 2020, the sale and importation of freon will be illegal. If you have an air conditioning system that still uses freon, you should have something to worry about since this ban directly affects you. What are your possible options? Read on and find out what the ban means to you.
The law does not necessarily specify that you are required to destroy your air conditioning system, but you will be forced to start budgeting for a new one owing to the circumstances. We are close to 2020, and the price of freon has risen significantly over the past few years. It is well known that the refrigerant is the lifeblood of any cooling system and you may be required to change it after some time due to leakages. Are you prepared to pay ten times what you would typically pay for a refrigerant recharge? This is the first effect of this phasing out, and you need to cross your fingers that your cooling system does not call for a refrigerant recharge anytime soon as you will be forced to dig deeper into your pockets. However, if you believe that it can work perfectly for the foreseeable future, you could stick to your old system for a while.
Some people might argue that they have expensive equipment, for instance, the ones in large business premises and getting a new one right away might not be possible. Well, all air conditioning systems are built differently, and such people might want to call over the professionals for a retrofitting. Retrofitting simply entails replacing some of the core filters, dryers, and other components to make an air conditioning system capable of running under an approved refrigerant. However, keep in mind that retrofitting is not possible in all cases since the different kinds of refrigerants have different characteristics and some may require one to change the entire structure of the system, something that may not be economical. Some specific systems might be rigid, and their designs might not allow any retrofitting to be done, and in such a scenario, there is nothing much that can be done.
If you are in an environment where you can get access to used equipment that made use of freon, you could opt to recycle it as you probably save up for a new system. This is an excellent move to offset costs in businesses and households where one can get freon from pieces of equipment that have been retired. This is not a good move since the overall aim is to protect the ozone layer, but it could save you for a few months or years if you do not have any other viable option.
The best option for anyone to take owing to this move is to buy new equipment. If your air conditioner is using the freon refrigerant, the chances are that it was probably manufactured a couple of years ago. Looking at that, you must have received some good years of service from the system and saying goodbye should not be out of the picture. The air conditioner technology has drastically changed over the years, and modern-day systems are better and more energy savvy. The internet of things has led to the design of systems that offer someone seamless control in that they can turn their devices on and off through their mobile gadgets and do several other things. In a nutshell, there is no reason why you should stick to the archaic systems when there are better ones available for you to choose from. If you already have a system in place, you could start planning up for an overhaul by the time you get to 2020 so that you won’t be overly worried about paying ten times more for a simple refrigerant recharge.
Some of the possible options for homeowners and business people have been highlighted, and you should select the one that suits you best. The move is not malicious as it is meant to protect the environment. The most common option that people are turning to is the r410A refrigerant which is the other reliable refrigerant in the market. However, this is not the automatic alternative as different types of refrigerants can run in their designated systems.
If you are having a hard time moving on from this move, contact your air conditioner expert, visit here, and have them advise you on the best thing to do. They would probably first inspect your system and try to see whether it could be retrofitted or not. This move is often made after a cost analysis of the system to know whether you have got value for the money spent on buying and installing it. If you have already received enough value, it might be prudent to invest in a new one since the useful age of that system may have already elapsed. When selecting a new system, ensure you pick the right one and always try to opt for the flexible ones that can use different types of refrigerants such as R22 Alternative Refrigerants- Bluon Energy, so that you do not get fixed in a corner like in the case where freon was sanctioned.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
