The air conditioner in your home has
freon. If your system runs out of
freon or begins running low, there is a good chance that it’ll no longer blow out cold air. Once this happens, you’ll want to get your system filled with
freon right away. Just remember that you’re going to receive a hefty repair bill. Unfortunately,
freon is very expensive. It might be a quick repair, but the price of
freon has climbed significantly in the last few years. Government legislation has caused the prices of R-22 to increase. It is being banned in the United States.
New HVAC equipment cannot use R-22 refrigerant. Below, you’ll find out why it is so expensive.
Environmental Issues
Many years ago, R-22 was regularly used around the country. It is still the most common refrigerant. However, the government has implemented protocols to ensure that it will be phased out son. All new HVAC equipment has to use a different refrigerant. R-22
freon was popular because it was affordable and easy to produce. The only downside is that it was harmful to the environment. It is a volatile compound that can deplete the ozone layer. Since the United States government has started combating climate change, it has decided to stop allowing air conditioner manufacturers to use R-22
freon.
In the next few years,
freon will be phased out and replaced thanks to the EPA. Regardless, most older HVAC equipment has R-22
freon. Since it is harder to get now, it is more expensive. It is more expensive because it harms the environment.
Decreasing Supply
Another thing consumers must understand is that R-22 is quickly being phased out. Since it isn’t going to be used in the future, the supply of R-22 has dropped significantly. Ultimately, this is one of the main reasons it has become more expensive. Today, the production of
freon is strictly regulated. It is often difficult to find freon when you need to refill your air conditioner. In many cases, HVAC technicians are going to refill AC equipment using reclaimed R-22
freon. As a result, this means that they’ve taken the freon from older equipment. Now, they’re using it to refill your old air conditioner.
Professionals often have difficulty trying to find suitable sources of R-22
freon. Sadly, this means that consumers are going to pay a lot more to get their HVAC systems filled with
freon.
House Impact
Although you can likely get an R-22 refill right now, the demand and supply will be obsolete in the future. Therefore, it is pertinent to upgrade to a newer HVAC system at some point. Doing so ensures that you can begin using the newest and safest refrigerants. Nevertheless, you aren’t ready to upgrade yet. If this is the case, you’re likely wondering what you can do to recharge without overspending. Typically, you can save money by adding reclaimed freon to your unit. Just remember that this could lead to other problems. Using reclaimed
freon could damage your unit and the atmosphere. You probably want to do everything in your power to protect Mother Nature.
The best way to do that is by replacing your existing HVAC equipment with equipment that works with the newest refrigerants. If this is something that interests you, call our office. Our technicians can help remove your existing equipment and replace it with a newer model.
