Updated August 2023

Updates to Refrigerant in 2023

According to The News: Air Conditioning Heating and Refrigeration, the Environmental Protection Agency is working to finalize three rules that will refrigerants used in HVACR applications resulting from the AIM Act. Starting in January 2024, a 30-40% reduction in the production of HFC will occur with regard to refrigerants that are used in HVAC systems.

Home electrification is a big focus, especially in California homes. Huft Home Services can help with electrifying your home. We can explain the benefits of home electrification and make sure that your home’s HVAC system is up to date with the newest energy efficiency standards.

R22 Refrigerant In 2020

Starting in the year 2020, buying R22 refrigerant (also known as Freon) is still available but will no longer be manufactured by air conditioning manufacturers and A/C repair companies. If you own an air conditioner with an R22 refrigerant, you have probably been trying to keep it in working condition for as long as possible so that you don’t need to get a new A/C unit anytime soon. Unfortunately, you will likely come to the point where your air conditioner must be replaced with a new model or retrofitted in order to take a newer and legal refrigerant.

Why R22 Is No Longer Being Manufactured

In the year 2010, laws were passed for air conditioning manufacturers to no longer make new air conditioners that use R22 refrigerants. They could only make R22 refrigerant for homes that already had a compatible air conditioner. These were the seeds that were planted to phase out R22 in favor of a more efficient refrigerant.

Starting on January 1st, 2020, R22 refrigerant will become illegal in all countries to manufacture. This is due to the refrigerant being detrimental to the environment and the planet’s ozone layer. Banning the creation and sale of this refrigerant is an attempt to reduce the amount of pollution that is created. Fortunately, R-410A refrigerant is a step in that direction and has been the standard refrigerant supplied by the best heating and air conditioning Sacramento has to offer.

What Happens If My R22 Air Conditioner Still Works?

If you still have an air conditioner that uses an R22 refrigerant, you won’t be forced to replace it if you do not want or need to at this moment. It will just be tougher and more costly to have it repaired, as well as find the right parts for it. Because R-410A has become the successor to R22, R22 refrigerant, and related parts have become harder to come across. If third-party sellers have resources for R22 for sale, they are sure to be for high prices. There will come a point in which R22 air conditioner parts will never become available for sale or resale.

You can still continue to have your air conditioner work for as long as possible, and you are responsible for any parts you buy from third-party sellers. But if you are in need of repairs or replacements, you can certainly get one or the other from A/C specialists in Sacramento.

About Retrofitting

If you feel your air conditioner still has many years left in it, but you don’t want to put up with hunting rare parts and paying for them, you can have your air conditioner retrofitted so that it can work with R-410A refrigerant rather than R22. Retrofitting is the modification of your existing A/C unit so that it will work with newer refrigerants and parts. Homeowners do this to ensure that any repairs they will make on their air conditioner from that point are more affordable.

About A/C Replacement

You can also have your air conditioner replaced entirely. If you feel your unit has seen better days, simply get a new one that works and uses R-410A refrigerant. Replacing your air conditioner is more expensive than retrofitting it, but it makes sense fiscally when you want to avoid the ongoing repair expenses altogether.

Conclusion

R22 refrigerant is available from A/C companies, until supplies last. While you can continue to use your old A/C unit, you will eventually need to switch to an R-410A refrigerant. You can either opt to buy a new air conditioner or have your current AC system retrofitted to work with a new refrigerant.

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