After 1 January 2010 no more virgin refrigerant R 22 can be used in existing systems.
(see related page: Environmental Policy)
After 2015 no more recycled refrigerant R22 can be used in existing systems.
If you have recently installed an R22 air conditioning system the phase out dates
should be a cause for your concern. Your system will only require additional refrigerant
should a leak or major repair is required and this can be effected within current
legislation until 2015.
• Servicing existing units
Existing units using R-22 can not continue to be serviced with R-22 from 1st of January
2010. Therefore new refrigerant can not be bought to fill this system only existing,
stockpiled or reclaimed. In addition, the new substitute refrigerants cannot be
used without making some changes to system components. As a result, service technicians
who repair leaks to the system will continue to charge R-22 into the system as part
of that repair.
• Cost of R-22
While consumers should be aware that prices of R-22 may increase as supplies dwindle
over the next 20 or 30 years, EPA believes that consumers are not likely to be subjected
to major price increases within a short time period. Although there is no guarantee
that service costs of R-22 will not increase, the lengthy phase out period for R-22
means that market conditions should not be greatly affected by the volatility and
resulting refrigerant price hikes that have characterized the phase out of R-12,
the refrigerant used in automotive air-conditioning systems and commercial chillers.
• Alternatives to R-22 in Residential Air Conditioning
As R-22 is gradually phased out, non-ozone-depleting alternative refrigerants are
being introduced. Under the Clean Air Act, EPA reviews alternatives to ozone-depleting
substances like R-22 in order to evaluate their effects on human health and the environment.
EPA has reviewed several of these alternatives to R-22 and has compiled a list of
substitutes that EPA has determined are acceptable. One of these substitutes is R-410A,
a blend of hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs), substances that do not contribute to depletion
of the ozone layer, but, like R-22, contribute to global warming. R-410A is manufactured
and sold under various trade names, including GENETRON AZ-20®, SUVA 410A®, and Puron®.
Additional refrigerants on the list of acceptable substitutes include R-134a and
R-407C. These two refrigerants are not yet available for residential applications
in the U.S., but are commonly found in residential A/C systems and heat pumps in
Europe. EPA will continue to review new non-ozone-depleting refrigerants as they
are developed.
• Installing new units
The transition away from ozone-depleting R-22 to systems that rely on replacement
refrigerants like R-410A has required redesign of heat pump and air conditioning
systems. New systems incorporate compressors and other components specifically designed
for use with specific replacement refrigerants. With these significant product and
production process changes, testing and training must also change. Consumers should
be aware that dealers of systems that use substitute refrigerants should be schooled
in installation and service techniques required for use of that substitute refrigerant.
