If you own an old air conditioner or heat pump that uses Freon, it is time to think about making a change. Freon is a chemical coolant, or refrigerant, that facilitates the transfer of heat from one place to another. Known as R-22 in the heating, cooling, and refrigeration industry, Freon has been used for several decades, but won't be any longer. This is because chemical refrigerants are harmful to the environment, including the O-zone layer. And as soon as this scientific evidence was confirmed, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with several other environmental agencies from around the world, came together to ratify the Freon Phase Out. If you own an old air conditioner, continue reading to learn about the Freon phase out and how it affects your property's heating and cooling.
Freon Phase Out
World-wide environmental protection agencies enacted a Freon phase out several years ago to eliminate the threat of chemical refrigerants to our surrounding environment, namely our O-zone layer. With years of hard work, chemical engineers and HVAC specialist were able to create an eco-friendly replacement for R-22 called R-410A, better known as Puron. So in 2010, HVAC manufacturers stopped producing Freon-dependent appliances entirely, and started only producing systems designed to use Puron. In accordance with this phase out, Freon can only be used to recharge HVAC systems until January 1st, 2020. After this date, Freon will be completely phased-out and no longer available.
Get Rid of Freon
If you own an air conditioning system that uses Freon as a coolant, you can expect some difficulties until this upcoming 2020 date. Since Freon is being phased out, the market supply has dropped drastically. This means that Freon is difficult to find and very costly. Recharging your HVAC system is going to be both tedious and expensive for the next four years. And in 2020, you will have no choice but to replace your system with a new one since Freon will be gone forever. For these reasons and more, it is important to consider replacing your air conditioner with a newer model as soon as possible. Not only will it lower energy bills and maintenance costs, it will be much safer for the environment!
Don't waste your time repairing coolant leaks or mechanical problems in an air conditioner that still utilizes Freon. It is more cost-effective to replace your air conditioning system altogether, and skip the imminent hassle of using Freon. Eventually, you'll have to invest in a non-Freon system anyway, so it's better to start now!
How to Safely Dispose an Old Air Conditioner
When it comes time to replace your old air conditioner with a new one, do not throw your old AC in the trash. Not only is this highly dangerous and illegal, it is a waste of perfectly good money. That's because you can sell your old appliances to a scrap metal buyer and make a quick cash profit. Then you can use this money toward your new air conditioner purchase. Before you sell your air conditioner to a scrap metal yard, it is important to first learn how to dispose of the R-22 and R-410A refrigerants, legally and safely.
To do this, you must hire a certified professional to remove the refrigerants from your old AC unit. Some scrap yards have professionals they work with that do this service for them, while others require you do have the refrigerants removed before they can accept them. Check with your local scrap metal buyer to see what their requirements are for scrapping an old air conditioner. You can also look for Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) organizations in your area if you want to get rid of it without selling it to a scrap metal buyer.
