Heat Pump Rebates & Credits Info

The refrigerant (often referred to as Freon) we have used for air conditioners for the past 50 years or so has been determined to be harmful to the atmosphere, specifically the ozone layer.

Ozone is present in the upper atmosphere and protects the earth from the harmful UV rays of the sun. You have probably heard about the hole in the ozone layer that has appeared over Antartica. Scientists have determined that the chlorine that is present in many refrigerant chemicals makes its way up into the upper atmosphere and when chlorine atoms come in contact with ozone (O3) and a new molecule forms called chlorine dioxide (ClO2). This reduces the amount of ozone present in the atmosphere and allows more harmful UV rays to enter our environment. This also contributes to global warming and the additional UV rays can be harmful to the earth and its inhabitants (increases skin cancer for example).

Whether we agree with the science or not, the United States has entered into an international treaty that regulates the use of refrigerants and over time, eliminates the use of any refrigerants that contain chlorine. Since the early 1990s, scientists have developed new, non-chlorinated refrigerants that do no harm to the ozone layer. These new refrigerants have been commonly available since the late 1990s and Refrigerant 22 (R-22) is now being phased out over the next few years due to federal law. R-410A is the most common new refrigerant for air conditioning applications and since 2000 has been chosen as the refrigerant of choice by all major manufacturers. But R410A has also had unintended consequences.

As we have worked to phase out R22 and replace it with R410A, scientists have now labeled R410A as a “greenhouse gas.” Greenhouse gasses trap heat in the earths atmosphere causing the climate to warm over time. Once again, the industry has been asked to redesign our heating and air conditioning systems with a new refrigerant, and although we do not yet have a universal replacement for R-410A, government regulations have already began to limit production of the refrigerant.

Key Dates for R22:

2010—the production of new refrigerant, R22 has been reduced by 65%. This has caused less supply to be available, and in the past few years, R22 has more than tripled in price in just 2 years (as of summer 2013).

2015—the production of new refrigerant, R22 has reduced by 90%! This will likely cause a severe shortage of R-22 and the price will likely rise even more dramatically.

2020—the production of new refrigerant, R22 has been reduced by 99.5%, effectively eliminating its availability. At this point, recycled refrigerant or replacement refrigerants will be the only options and the price of recycled R22 will go even higher due to lack of supply.

2030—the production and use of R22 will be completely banned.

Due to the above schedule in accordance with federal law, we feel it is irresponsible for any contractor to sell any new or replacement air conditioning unit today that uses R22. They are still available today but will become largely obsolete by 2015, surely so by 2020. Whenever any customer has a major repair that requires the addition of any significant amount of refrigerant or replacement of the refrigerant, we strongly recommend considering replacement of the unit with a new unit that uses chlorine free R410A, especially if that unit is over 15 years old (the average life of a residential AC unit in the US). In the long run, it is a better value for the customer and it’s better for the environment.