Friday, October 25, 2013
How R-22 Refrigerant Affects Your HVAC Business
Labels: R-22, R-410A, Refrigerant 0 comments-->
According to the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), releases of R-22 refrigerant, a
greenhouse gas, contribute to depletion of the ozone. In an effort to protect
our ozone, the EPA has implemented a phase-out schedule for the gas commonly
used in air conditioners and heat pumps.
As a result, HVAC manufacturers
haven’t been able to produce new air conditioners and heat pumps containing
R-22 since 2010. Additionally, by 2020, chemical manufacturers will no longer
be able to produce R-22 to service existing air conditioners and heat pumps. After
2020, the servicing of systems using R-22 will rely solely on recycled or
reclaimed refrigerants.
What does this mean for you and your customers?
To put it simply, you have
two choices:
1. Service
existing units
While
companies are no longer able to import R-22 for use in new air conditioning
equipment, they can continue to import it until 2020 for use in servicing
existing equipment. While this sounds easy enough, here’s the downfall:
As the production
of R-22 refrigerant continues to decrease, the price—which is currently quoted
to range from $35 to $175 per pound—will no doubt continue to skyrocket.
As these
costs continue to rise, and your customers continue to face sticker shock, you
may consider replacing old R-22 units with those that use more environmentally
friendly refrigerants such as R-410A.
Unfortunately, R-22-based systems aren’t compatible with R-410A, so consumers
will need to replace the entire system.
2. Install
new units
To avoid
having to purchase the highly priced R-22, many of our contractors have been
talking with their customers about the benefit of installing a new unit. New
systems are more environmentally friendly, meaning they’re more energy
efficient and can save your customers money on their monthly cooling costs.
In 2011,
we implemented a Rapid Recovery Program for our contractors. The DYNACYCLE
Refrigerant Recycling Program turns R-22 recovery cylinders into Comfort Supply
store credit. As the market price of R-22 continues to increase, contractors
earn more for each pound of R-22 they recover.
To learn
more about our refrigerant recycling program, see our blog post or
call us at 800-467-4235.
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