In other words, it impacts just about everyone and everything on Earth in one way or another. In , the U. Environmental Protection Agency EPA joined with several other global agencies to create the Montreal Protocol, an agreement that established a timeline for phasing out the use of these highly dangerous synthetic chemicals. Beginning in , the EPA began implementing the Montreal Protocol in stages, beginning with a ban on manufacturing new equipment that used R However, any unit manufactured before should be checked to confirm that R22 is not present in the system.
During that time, it began to implement restrictions on how R22 was handled and required it to be treated as hazardous waste. They also began to require repair technicians to become EPA-certified to work on units containing R Starting on January 1, , companies can no longer produce or import R22 into the United States. Repair companies will only be permitted to use recycled or repurposed R22 to provide maintenance on older units.
Once the ban takes effect, the only R22 that will be available to use will be recycled R Because of the limited supply, prices will naturally go up. Talk to an expert! Then, if it does contain R22, decide how that will impact your decision. In some cases, potential homeowners use this information to negotiate down on the price. In other cases, they may simply plan to replace the unit once they assume ownership.
Learn more about hvac replacements. R22 is a greenhouse gas. Any time R22 escapes into the atmosphere, it contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer. This happens when a leak occurs. The best way to prevent it from escaping into the atmosphere is to prevent leaks.
Of course, continued use of your air conditioner AC or heat pump system using R22 refrigerant is allowed. However, it does mean that if your AC or heat pump system needs a repair that involves refrigerant, you may have to decide between a hefty refrigerant bill and a system replacement.
On January 1, , the Environmental Protection Agency EPA implemented a ban on the production and import of R22, except for continuing servicing needs of existing equipment. What Is Refrigerant, Anyway? The refrigerant in your AC or heat pump is the fluid that flows inside the coils in your equipment.
This physical change makes the substance either hot or cold. As its pressure changes, it readily absorbs or gives off heat to the air passing over the coils, changing the temperature of that air. Eventually, this comfortable air makes its way to the rooms in your home. However, as the January 1, ban date approaches, you may need to evaluate your options if your air conditioning or heat pump system fails or requires emergency repairs.
This may make R22 very expensive. Just remember that ACs and heat pumps are not designed to consume refrigerant. There are ways to recycle or reclaim R In fact, the practice was common as a way of cutting down on costs and environmental impact well before the last update to the Montreal Protocol.
It is strongly recommended by our technicians that you should only use recycled refrigerant that has been collected from your own system. Reclamation is more complex. It involves filtering, drying, distilling, and chemically treating used refrigerant to completely strip impurities. Because not all of the R22 currently in use can or will be reclaimed, the pool of available refrigerant is shrinking.
It is impossible at this time to project how this will impact the cost of R22 in the future. This is because no one actually knows how much stockpiled R22 is out there. Those companies which reclaim R22 will set their prices based on supply and demand.
There is a possibility that holdouts will find themselves competing over a scarce resource, with prices rising accordingly over the next few years. As the equipment owner, you may also notice higher costs due to increased environmental levies on the sale and import of both new and reclaimed HFCs and HCFCs. These levy increases will allow RMC to continue collecting and disposing of refrigerant waste and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In which case you should already be aware of your responsibilities. Manufacturers and service providers are the ones most directly implicated by the new regulations. Although you are allowed to continue operating an R22 system, if you expand the capacity of your existing system, you become ineligible to purchase or use virgin R This is because, from the perspective of regulators, an expanded system is considered a new system. Given that the newest R22 units in Canada are now at least ten years old already, the age of your system may be a factor in your decision.
It could be considerably cheaper or just as expensive as purchasing a new model. You should consult your service provider to determine what approach is best for you. This may be a good place to note that, while RA a drop-in replacement option has similar characteristics to R22, it is not the same.
It should not be mixed with R22 under any circumstances, and there are significant equipment modifications that need to be made before any switch can be made. You must consult with your service provider before proceeding with any changeover. The phaseout applies to virtually all equipment that uses HCFCs, with a few exceptions for certain laboratory and medical applications.
Short answer: if your equipment uses R22 or another HCFC as a refrigerant, you have some decisions to make. However, if your equipment is aging and service call frequency is on the rise, equipment replacement should be considered first.
Ultimately, whether you choose to replace, retrofit, or leave the system alone should be based on operating costs and the age of your existing equipment. This is a question best left to your service provider! There are a number of different R22 replacements which may be recommended for your system, each of which has its own quirks and characteristics.
Moreover, buying a new system complicates the question further, as newer equipment tends to be more efficient. We hope this guide has provided answers to all of your burning or cooling? The best way to figure out what to do next is to have a certified HVAC technician examine your system and give you their take based on your unique needs. Gateway remains the air conditioning and refrigeration leader throughout Western Canada.
This article was originally published on May 9, It has since been updated to reflect recent developments on the subject. Your email address will not be published.
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