Air conditioning systems use a compressed refrigerant in order to absorb heat out of your home and then exhaust it outside. We wanted to put together a quick explanation about what refrigerants are and short history of them. Read below to learn more about one of the most important parts of your air conditioning system.
Air Conditioning Refrigerants: A Quick History
Years ago, refrigerants were highly toxic and often flammable gases like ammonia and propane. In 1928, a nontoxic, nonflammable refrigerant known as Freon was developed and gained widespread use. The term Freon was just the trademark of a variety of different blends of different types of refrigerants. The blend that became most prominent in home and commercial air conditioning systems was referred to as R-22. However, it was discovered that this kind of refrigerant damaged the earth’s ozone layer, and it was phased out of new production in 2010. In its place is a new kind of environmentally friendly refrigerant known as R-410A. In Europe and Japan carbon dioxide is actually being used as a refrigerant as well.
Older Air Conditioning Systems
If you have an air conditioning system that was built years ago that still uses Freon, you will still be able to get it refilled with Freon. However, by 2020, Freon will no longer be available and if you have a refrigerant leak you may have to replace your whole AC system. However, there are huge benefits to replacing your air conditioning system. Not only will you get more efficient cooling, but you could increase the comfort of your home and reduce the need for air conditioning repair. Also, as R-22 is phased out, it will also become more expensive to repair these older systems since the R-22 will be scarce.
When you need air conditioning repair, installation or maintenance in Tampa, just call Ierna’s Heating & Cooling!