Every air conditioner in Bloomington, IL uses a chemical refrigerant to absorb heat from your home’s air and transfer it outdoors. For decades, R-22 was used in air conditioning systems and heat pumps. However, the Montreal Protocol of 1987 initiated a phase-out of that chemical. Read on to find out more about which refrigerant your air conditioner uses and why it’s an important consideration when you need a repair.
HCFC-22
The Montreal Protocol set up international standards for phasing out the use of R-22. It was used for many decades in residential and commercial air conditioning systems, heat pumps, refrigeration systems, and cooling systems for automobiles. However, scientists found that it caused serious damage to the Earth’s ozone layer. Exposure to R-22 is also harmful to human health. It can only be handled by AC installation experts with an EPA certification.
R-410A
R-410A is a next-generation refrigerant. There’s no chlorine in this compound, so it doesn’t deplete the ozone layer as much or otherwise cause extensive environmental damage. New air conditioning systems manufactured since 2010 use R-410A. If your air conditioner uses this coolant and it develops a leak, you’ll have no problem sourcing refrigerant for recharging the system.
Repairing or Disposing of an Old Air Conditioning System
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, R-22 can no longer be produced or imported to the U.S. as of 2020. Only recycled or reclaimed R-22 can be used. If your air conditioning system was manufactured before 2010, it may use HCFC-22. If it develops a leak, there eventually won’t be any refrigerant to refill it. An older air conditioner using R-22 can’t be recharged with R-410A. Consider replacing an old air conditioner with an environmentally-friendly, energy-efficient new air conditioner that uses R-410A.
To learn more about air conditioner refrigerants, check out Custom Air Company’s air conditioning services, or call us for additional details.