The Latest Insights and HVAC Tips in Myrtle Beach, SC

Big Changes Are Coming That Will Affect Your Heating And Cooling System. Are You Ready? Currently HAVC products use a refrigerant called “R410a”. During 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency initiated its first steps for the phase out of R410a refrigerant production. R410a is the refrigerant currently used in almost all HVAC products and systems. The goal is to replace R410a with a more environmentally friendly alternative. The new refrigerant is called “A2L” and all new HVAC products are required to use it by 2025. Government regulations limiting or restricting the use of refrigerants are nothing new. For example, R-22, the refrigerant in use before R410a, was determined to be a major contributor to the depletion of the Earth’s ozone layer and was phased out over a 10-year period concluding in 2020. As you can imagine, we’re being asked many questions surrounding this transition. The most common questions are “will R410a be phased out and no longer available”, “can the new refrigerant be used in R410a systems” and “should I postpone installing a new system until the A2L products are available?” The phase down of R410a production is already underway, but that doesn't mean it will not be available for many years to come. There are billions of pounds of R410a in inventory today and it is doubtful that we will be able to consume this supply. The US phase down of R410a commenced in January of 2022. The phase down is expected to be a 14-year process where production and shipping will be slashed by 40% by the end of 2024 and eventually by 85% by the end of 2036. As a result, we have already seen a steady uptick in the price of R410a during the past two years. While R410a will continue to be available for a long time, we anticipate that the cost of R410a will continue to increase as production, supply and demand decrease. In our opinion, this refrigerant transition is the single largest change to the HVAC industry since its inception and many of the details being determined. The new refrigerant, “A2L” is designed to be a lower Global Warming Potential “GWP” refrigerant and much safer and better for our environment. It is said that the ozone layer has nearly fully regenerated due to the phase out of R-22 and other similar refrigerants, so the new focus has shifted to GWP, which is a measure of how destructive and toxic a climate pollutant is. A2L refrigerants are very safe and considered to be just lightly flammable. In fact, the name A2L is an abbreviation of: A - Non-Toxic, 2 - Flammable, and L - Low Burning Velocity. The A2L refrigerant was selected as the replacement for R410a due to the operating efficiencies and performance benefits it provides over older refrigerants. A2L refrigerant is already in use for newer household refrigerators and even some automobiles. The A2L refrigerant cannot be used in systems designed for R410a and the refrigerants cannot be mixed. When it comes to deciding whether to postpone getting a new system it all depends on the age and condition of your existing system. We are hearing that the price of new A2L based HVAC products could be significantly more than the current R410a equivalent. So, if your system is older, needs major repairs or you expect it might need to be replaced, we recommend that you do that before the A2L systems are introduced in 2025. This will allow you to take advance of lower pricing and have a new system that will provide you with many years of reliable service. If you have a newer system that is operating properly and that doesn’t exhibit any signs of refrigerant leaks, we recommend keeping that system until the cost of maintaining or repairing it becomes prohibitive. While the transition from R410a to AL2 will certainly cause some disruption in the short term, we believe the long-term benefits are well worth it. A2L refrigerants are more eco-friendly, less toxic, more efficient and reduce the number of harmful pollutants released into our environment. At Ocean Air Cooling, our staff is keeping well informed on the latest developments and getting the necessary training on the new AL2 refrigerant. We’re more than happy to answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to reach out to us regarding all your heating and cooling questions or needs.