Refrigerant, or Freon, is the substance that your air conditioning unit uses to provide cooling in your home. An air conditioner is a closed system, so adding refrigerant to your unit should be a onetime thing. However, if your unit springs a leak, you may want to know a little more about the type of Freon your unit uses before you decide on a costly repair.
The Old Standard
Air conditioning units used to use a compound called CFC’s or chlorofluorocarbons. This is a combination of carbon, fluorine, and chlorine atoms that when put together create a compound that is a destroyer of the ozone. These types of compounds have been banned by the EPA since 1996, and therefore have pretty much disappeared from the market.
The Present
In an effort to diminish the harmful effects that Freon was having on the environment, a hybrid version of CFC’s was created. These are known as HCFC’s or hydrochlorofluorocarbons. If your air conditioning system runs on R-22 Freon, then your unit runs on HCFC’s. The problem here was that though this replacement did have less of an impact, it still contained the harmful chlorine that was the main destroyer of the ozone layer in the original CFC’s. There is also a byproduct formed in the production of HCFC’s that contributes to global warming. Eventually, the EPA began to phase out HCFC’s (R-22) as well. This year plays a major role in the phase out program. As of 2010, manufacturers of air conditioning units and heat pumps are no longer allowed to produce units that run on R-22 refrigerant. So where does that leave you as the consumer?
The Future
R-410A is the future of refrigerant. If you purchase a unit this year make sure that it is run on this type of Freon. As the phase out continues, R-22 is going to get harder and harder to find, and as a result will cost more and more to you as the consumer. Besides cost to your wallet, you will be increasing your carbon foot-print here on Earth. We all need to do our part to clean up the mess that we have made and prevent more of a mess from happening.
The best way to do this would be to replace a leaking air conditioner. Many people simply fill the unit up with the same old Freon year after year and let it slowly leak out. This is not only a waste of money but a severe disregard for the condition of our planet. The phase out of R-22 is going to happen whether you are ready for it or not. So, save the earth, save some money, and transition to R410A today!
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Great post. Thanks for putting this up here.