Environmentally Safe Refrigerants

Until recently, R-22 has been the refrigerant of choice for residential air-conditioning systems. The manufacture of R-22 results in a dangerous by-product that adversely affects the environment. Older Air Conditioning systems can develop leaks that are slowly depleting the ozone. R-22 is considered a greenhouse gas.

R-22 is being phased out and manufacturers of residential and commercial air conditioning systems are now offering equipment that uses ozone-friendly refrigerants. Many homeowners have been misinformed about how much longer R-22 will be available to service their central A/C systems.

Sean McCutcheon’s Air conditioning and Heating has been recommending Environmentally Safe refrigerants such as Puron since 2004. Unfortunately not all air conditioning companies have been informing their customers of the phase out of R-22, and as a result customers will see sky rocketing maintenance costs. R-22 has already increased in price over 400% and is now over $31.00 per lb.

Consumers need to take the phase out of R-22 into consideration when purchasing a new A/C system, or when having an existing system repaired.

As of January 1, 2010 the U.S. was required to reduce its consumption of HCFCs by 75%. R-22 may not be used in new equipment. As a result HVAC system manufacturers cannot produce new air conditioners and heat pumps that use R-22.

By January 1, 2020 the U.S. will reduce its consumption of HCFCs by 99.5%. Refrigerant that has been recovered, recycled and reclaimed will be allowed to service existing systems, but chemical manufacturers will no longer be able to produce R-22 to service existing air conditioners.

The Clean Air Act does not allow any refrigerant to be vented into the atmosphere during installation, service, or retirement of equipment. Therefore, R-22 must be recovered and recycled (for reuse in the same system), reclaimed (reprocessed to the same purity standard as new R-22), or destroyed. Sean McCutcheon’s Air conditioning and Heating takes great care to properly dispose of R-22 when removing old units.

We recover the R-22 refrigerant and turn it into reclamation and recycling depots for proper disposal or reuse.

At Sean McCutcheons Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. We give our customers the quality and service they expect!