Freon, or R-22 refrigerant, was the main refrigerant used in air conditioners for many years. Over time, however, the Environmental Protection Agency determined that R-22 is extremely dangerous for the environment and caused depletion of ozone in the atmosphere. Since then, the EPA has been phasing out R-22 in favor of Freon replacement alternatives.
Thankfully, many such Freon replacement alternatives have now been developed, and newer HVAC systems are outfitted for them automatically. These systems built to use Freon replacement alternatives are now the norm, but some people still have old systems that are made to use only R-22, and still others use Freon without realizing they could switch to one of the Freon replacement alternatives. To learn more about the phase-out and whether your system uses R-22, get in touch with your St. Louis heating & air conditioning professional at Galmiche & Sons.
Available Freon Replacement Alternatives
With the R-22 refrigerant phase out, a lot of people are realizing they need to upgrade or replace their HVAC system to stay compliant. The plan is to complete the phase-out by 2030. So at that point, only Freon replacement alternatives will be available. In the meantime, the price of Freon has gone up quite a bit as a result of the phase-out, so replacing the refrigerant in an older system with R-22 has become prohibitively expensive for most homeowners. There are three main Freon replacement alternatives out there:
- R-410A: This non-ozone depleting refrigerant provides better energy efficiency than some of the other alternatives and does not use chlorine. This Freon replacement alternative is especially popular in commercial HVAC systems thanks to its efficiency and new HVAC units are often designed specifically to work with this refrigerant. Higher pressure and refrigeration capacity make this a great choice for many applications.
- R-134A: Also known as Norflurane, this refrigerant is a single component, rather than being blended like most R-22 replacements. One advantage of R-134A among Freon replacement alternatives is that it’s the only option approved for retrofitting. So if you have an old system that previously used R-22, you will need to have that system retrofit for use with R-134A.
- R-407C: This is a common replacement for R-22 because it has thermodynamic properties very similar to Freon. As a popular choice, many new machines are manufactured to work with this refrigerant and it is an easy and cost-conscious option.
Do You Need to Replace Your System?
Whichever you choose, there is still another important decision to be made, which is whether you need an air conditioning replacement in order to switch to one of these Freon replacement alternatives. If your HVAC system is more than 15 years old, it is a good idea to replace it anyway thanks to wear and tear, but you definitely should if the system still uses R-22 and cannot be retrofit for R-134A. Otherwise, you will just have to deal with increasing Freon prices until it is no longer available at all. Your HVAC service team at Galmiche & Sons can help you determine if your HVAC system is one that can be easily retrofit or if a new HVAC system is necessary.
Get Freon Replacement Alternatives in Your Home
If you would like to have an alternative to Freon replaced in your air conditioner or just want to learn more about the options available to you, connect with us today. As a leading HVAC service company in St. Louis, we look forward to helping with any of your heating & air conditioning needs.
