It seems that everything is going up in price these days, and refrigerant for your home air conditioner or heat pump is another one to add to the list. The primary refrigerant that has been used for over 4 decades, R-22, is being phased out because of its affect on the environment. Along with the phaseout will come increased prices for refrigerant. So, if your AC unit starts blowing warm air anytime soon, you can expect the cost to recharge a central ac unit to be a bit more also!
In this Charlotte HVAC Guide article, we will discuss the phaseout schedule, the reasons for the phaseout and also the potential effects on your wallet. Remember that freon is charged to you by the pound, and it's pretty easy to determine how much you may need by estimating how much freon an ac unit holds.
The phaseout schedule for R-22 is outlined fully on the EPA.gov website and goes like this:
January 1, 2010: The Montreal Protocol requires the U.S. to reduce its consumption of HCFCs by 75% below the U.S. baseline. Allowance holdersmay only produce or import HCFC-22 to service existing equipment. Virgin R-22 may not be used in new equipment. As a result, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system manufacturers may not produce new air conditioners and heat pumps containing R-22.
January 1, 2015: The Montreal Protocol requires the U.S. to reduce its consumption of HCFCs by 90% below the U.S. baseline.
January 1, 2020: The Montreal Protocol requires the U.S. to reduce its consumption of HCFCs by 99.5% below the U.S. baseline. Refrigerant that has been recovered and recycled/reclaimed will be allowed beyond 2020 to service existing systems, but chemical manufacturers will no longer be able to produce R-22 to service existing air conditioners and heat pumps.
Although the effects of HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) on the environment have been known for many years, it wasn't until 1992 that the Montreal Protocol established a schedule to begin a complete phaseout. The release of R-22 into the environment has led to ozone depletion and contributes to global warming and as of January, 2010, R-22 can only be used for servicing existing HVAC equipment and manufacturers can no longer produce central air conditioners or heat pump systems that contain it.
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