If to take a look at the numbers that explain how energy is consumed in households today, you won’t miss out on the fact that air conditioners form a significant part of the entire chunk. Well, this goes without saying but these systems are integral to our homes, and they have become more of a priority rather than an option. It is hard to stay in your home comfortably without these systems. For most homeowners, it seems to be somewhat unnecessary to start digging about air conditioner systems and what the international bodies are saying about the kind of ac systems that we need to use.
Well, this is about to change soon as a major law was passed governing the kinds of coolants we use on our air conditioning systems. All cooling devices rely on a fluid known as the refrigerant and for many years, the most commonly used type has been the R22 freon. Well, after some time, it was discovered that this refrigerant was a notable contributor to the depletion of the ozone layer and a timeline was set to help phase it out completely. It was stated that by 2020, the sale of this refrigerant would be illegal and if you need it, it might be impossible to get it, unless you want to get into trouble with the authorities.
As a homeowner, this law greatly affects you since you need to consider your options going forward and try to find out the best course of action for you. Well, the regulation began a long time ago and if you have a system that is less than eight years old, the chances are high that it is based on a refrigerant that is legal. If you still have an air conditioner that is based on the phased out r22, there are a couple of possible things that you could do. First, r22 based systems are not being manufactured anymore and your system must be old. Air conditioner systems have a projected amount of time in which they can offer you service but once that time goes beyond ten years, you should start to consider getting a new one. Why should get yourself into the trouble of dealing with refrigerants that are phased out when you could just buy a new and better system?
If you decide to hold on to your system since it seems to be working perfectly well, then you should know what you are signing up for. The phase-out for this refrigerant was laid out such that it was done gradually and since we are almost approaching 2020, it is expected that the price and supply of this refrigerant has greatly been affected. It is very expensive to buy r22 as at now and that even relies on whether you can get a supplier selling it. If you decide to stick to your system and it begins experiencing a leak, you will be forced to dig deep to get it recharged. Well, it is utterly up to you to make that choice as you should weigh whether paying more than four times than you usually do for a normal air conditioning service. Keep in mind that as we are approaching 2020, the price of this refrigerant is increasing and expect to pay more as time goes.
For the business entities that have systems that are complicated, they could explore the options of having their systems retrofitted as opposed to getting new systems. This is where an analysis has been done, and the cost of retrofitting and its benefits are seen to be better than the cost of buying a new system. Refrigerants have specific chemical and physical properties and they mostly govern how a system should be built, something that makes it hard just to pick a system based on one refrigerant and use an entirely different one on it.
Retrofitting involves changing some of the essential components of the system in a bid to make it compatible with a new refrigerant. Some of the standard parts that can be replaced include the compressor, filter and ductwork. It should be noted that not all systems can be retrofitted as it all depends on the manufacturer’s design. Before you buy a new one, it is necessary to contact a professional and have them analyze your system and see whether it can be easily retrofitted.
If your system rundown on a different refrigerant, at least one that is legal, then you are on the safe side of this sanction. However, the ban on r22 has brought around systems that operate on various coolants, and it is prudent to do some research before selecting a specific one. First, ensure that the coolant is readily available so that you do not have to look far and wide for it when you need to do a recharge.
Keep in mind that while the r22 coolant has been banned, it does not mean that the authorities will come looking for you if you still have a unit that uses it. It only implies that you will find it harder to keep that system running. Thus if you believe that your r22 based system is in excellent condition and can serve you for the next year or so, you could stick by it as you ponder on your next move. But you need to do this with your fingers crossed since a coolant leakage will prove to be very costly for you.
Based on the guideline for the phaseout of r22, the best option is to plan for a new unit. Modern-day units are designed using the latest technology and have additional features that make them perfect for you. It is understandable that such units are costly and you might have to save for some months before you could raise the money needed to buy and install it. However, it is better to start planning now and avoid a scenario where you are caught out with a rundown system and have no money to get a new one right away so you are forced to stay in the uncomfortable heat for some time.
