Last month, a ruling was made that significantly reduced the amount of R22
air conditioner refrigerant that is allowed to be produced going forward. This ruling will have significant
effects on the cost of
certain air conditioner repairs, and we want to make sure that our customers know how it might affect
them. Today we’re going to talk about the purpose behind the recent
R22 ruling and what you should do if you are one of the homeowners who
might be impacted by it.
What are the details of the new R22 ruling?
R22 has been the most commonly used type of refrigerant in residential
air conditioners for many years. Although R22 is effective for cooling
our homes, it has some serious negative side effects when it comes to
the environment.
That’s why,
in 1992, the EPA began phasing out the manufacturing of R22 refrigerants. Just
last month, a new ruling was made that restricted the production of R22
to the lowest amount yet.
How does the R22 ruling affect homeowners?
The effects that the R22 ruling will have on homeowners come down to simple
supply and demand. As the amount of R22 that’s available dwindles, the cost of the refrigerant begins to skyrocket. The ruling
that was made last week instantly increased the cost of R22 refrigerant.
Because R22 is becoming so expensive, the costs of repairing refrigerant
leaks in air conditioners that use R22 are also becoming very expensive.
If you need to recharge your air conditioner with R22, it might
make more financial sense to
install a new air conditioner instead that uses a cheaper and more environmentally friendly refrigerant.
What should you do if your system currently uses R22 refrigerant?
If your air conditioner currently uses R22 refrigerant, you should start
to think about replacing it with a new air conditioner that uses one of
the EPA-approved refrigerants like R410a (the refrigerant of choice for
new air conditioners). The nice thing about air conditioners that use
R410a is that they
operate more efficiently than systems that use R22. So not only will you avoid the high costs of replenishing your current
system with R22, but you’ll also save money on operating costs.
We know that the heating season has started, so air conditioning might
be far from your mind. However, it’s typically best to replace your
furnace and air conditioner
at the same time, so now would be a great time to equip your home with a brand new furnace
that can keep you warm this winter as well!
If you have any questions about the effects of the recent R22 ruling, or
if you’d like a heating and cooling system serviced or installed in
your home, contact Jerry Kelly Heating & Air Conditioning, your
St. Charles, MO, furnace and air conditioner contractor. We provide service all over the St. Louis area, including towns like
Clayton, Cottleville and Creve Coeur, MO.
photo credit:
StockMonkeys.com via
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