New Refrigerant With Your Air Conditioning Installation
Why R-410A Refrigerant is Better | Air Conditioning Installation
If you are still using an air conditioner that uses R-22 refrigerant, a new air conditioning installation is in your home’s foreseeable future. This is due to the fact that new R-22 will no longer be available as of 2020. That is only six years away, and R-22 is already experiencing shortages and rising costs. This means if your air conditioner utilizing R-22 refrigerant develops a leak, it will be expensive to recharge it with more refrigerant, and within six short years-if supplies last that long, there will be no more produced. Those supplies still available at that time will only continue to rise in cost.
However, when you replace your air conditioner with a modern system that utilizes R-410A, the approved replacement for R-22, you find you have a air conditioning installation that is more energy efficient, more effective and less harmful to the environment.
Let’s examine the differences between R-22 and R-410A.
- R-22 is a hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) refrigerant that has been proven to be damaging the earth’s ozone layer. Keeping it simple, the ozone layer of our atmosphere is a protective layer that blocks Ultraviolet light. Without the ozone layer, life on Earth would cease to exist as we know it. Due to the damage caused by R-22, it is being phased out, and replaced with systems utilizing the safer alternative of R-410A for all new air conditioning installations.
- New air conditioners use R-410A refrigerant, and it has other benefits as well. It is more effective in extracting heat than R-22, making the compressor within the air conditioning system work less while achieving more efficient cooling in a smaller sized package.
- New systems are manufactured to higher standards than previous units that used R-22. These increased standards are due to the higher pressure that R-410A operates under, requiring the system to be more durable than previous systems that utilized R-22, and results in an increased service life of the system due to the higher quality of engineering. This is a definite bonus when you require a new air conditioning installation.
If you are a DIY homeowner who typically provides your own air conditioning maintenance and repair, you must understand that R-410A cannot be retrofitted for a system that uses R-22. The R-22 system is not built to withstand the increased pressure of R-410A; the oils used for lubrication of an R-22 system will not be sufficient with R-410A and will result in wear and damage to the unit equivalent to having no lubrication.
Furthermore, refrigerants should never be mixed of any kind, and the mixing of R-410A with R-22 can result in failure, damage and safety hazards. It should further be noted that R-410A requires specially designed pressure gauges, hoses, collecting units and other equipment. The required new equipment is designed for the higher pressure of R-410A, with a pressure that is approximately 50% higher than R-22.
The introduction of R-410A refrigerant required additional training for HVAC technicians with the use of special equipment, new procedures and other considerations in order to provide the ideal environment within your air conditioning system, as well as its proper use. Using Joe Handyman from a few streets over may result in a poorly performing system, damage to the system and a reduced service life.
Use only a certified HVAC technician for your new system for optimal performance and the life of the system. Don’t risk your new air conditioning installation, ensure that you only use certified HVAC technicians.
Ultimately, when you receive a new R-410A charged system during air conditioning installation, you will enjoy a more comfortable home, improved energy efficiency and an extended service life for the system using R-410A. You can also feel some satisfaction in knowing that you are utilizing a safer refrigerant, and a more environmentally responsible solution. In addition, you will be providing a more energy efficient system and reducing your home’s carbon footprint, while assisting in the goal of protecting the earth for the generations to come.
Cypress Heating and Air Conditioning provides certified HVAC technicians who are completely trained, tested and certified in all aspects of the HVAC industry. Continuing education is a requirement of the field, and our technicians not only meet, but exceed the industry requirements of training. We are dedicated to our customers comfort, safety and strive to always provide superior service and customer satisfaction. If you need maintenance, repair or air conditioning installation give us a call for prompt and reliable service.
