There seems to be a little confusion with the refrigerants used in air conditioners. As the summer quickly approaches in New York, many people will come to depend on their central air conditioning systems. Refrigerant is one of the primary ingredients to produce the cool air, and since there are many not understanding the difference between R22 and R410A refrigerant, we at NY NJ A/C Connection would like to elaborate on the differences to help clarify some of the confusion.
Function of Refrigerant in Air Conditioning System
As mentioned, refrigerant is one of the primary ingredients to cool air, and your heat pump or air conditioner requires it. Cooling systems do not burn gas fuel like furnaces to deliver comfortably cool air into your home, but cycling the refrigerant is what does. During the winter a heat pump forces warm air in the home and the heat pump or air conditioner forces the warm out during the summer with the help of refrigerant. Refrigerant is not consumable like gas or oil, it continues to cycle through the process continually. When the unit lacks refrigerant is likely because of a leak, or on the rare instance, the installer overlooked a full charge. Refrigerants can only be handled with a licensed professional, so when there is a need to recharge the unit, you will need a professional to repair the leak and recharge it.
R22 Refrigerant Gas
The golden standard refrigerant in past decades for HVAC use, was the R22. Found in most residential cooling systems, the R22 was also known as Freon. Because of the harmful impact R22 had on the environment, the R22 refrigerant was banned on January 1, 2015. Due to the ban, R22 supplies are becoming increasingly scarce and as a result, it has become incredibly expensive.
R410A Refrigerant
Homeowners who use R22 refrigerant, struggle to find affordable supplies though R410A production is in full swing, making it readily available. The 410A is not only environmentally friendly but it is more efficient and ready for use in newer conditioners. To increase comfort, make a difference on the environment, and to decrease your energy use, switching to R410A is essential.
R22 Conversion to R410A
Transitioning from R22 refrigerant to R410A refrigerant is not a simple process unfortunately. The older model units that relied on R22 refrigerant have to undergo an extensive and costly conversion process in order to use the R410A refrigerant. A far quicker and more cost-effective way to convert to R410A is to simply upgrade your existing unit. Older units using R22 refrigerant are likely to be on their down hill road to the end of their lifespan, not to mention the savings on energy bills and repair costs will be well worth the investment in upgrading, and you will see the return within a few years.
Central Air Conditioner Services & More in Manhattan, New York
If you are ready to upgrade to a more efficient unit using the R410A refrigerant or are experiencing refrigerant leaks that are in need of repair, call the experts of NY NJ AC Connection today and let our specialists take care of your needs.
