Repairing or replacing home air conditioners
Monday, August 02, 2010
To protect the Earth’s ozone layer, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations are restricting the refrigerants found in many home air conditioning systems. The commonly used R-22 refrigerant will be replaced with more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Consumer Action wants you to know that you are not required to replace your existing home air conditioner. Even if your air conditioner needs major repairs, you are not required to replace it. While the EPA’s regulations ban manufacturers from making new air conditioners that use R-22, it allows R-22 to be used to service existing air conditioners.
The lengthy phaseout period provides time to switch to ozone-friendly refrigerants when you normally would replace your air-conditioner or other equipment. This transition is important because supplies of R-22 will be more limited after 2010, which may cause the price of R-22 to increase. Starting in 2020, new R-22 may no longer be produced, so consumers will need to rely solely on recycled or reclaimed quantities to service any systems still operating after that date.
According to the EPA, if you have equipment that contains R-22 the most important thing you can do is to maintain your unit. Major leaks rarely develop in units that are properly installed and maintained.
To minimize potential environmental damage and maintenance costs, keep an eye on your unit and follow all maintenance guidelines. To learn about routine maintenance requirements, check the manual or contact the company that sold or services your unit. The EPA says is important to select a reliable service contractor. Technicians must have EPA certification to service equipment containing R-22. It is illegal to intentionally release any refrigerant when making repairs. Alternative refrigerants that do not harm the ozone layer are available and widely used.
For more information, read these EPA materials:
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