Does your Air Conditioning system run on R22? ….
If so, time is running out! The use of R22 is banned from 1st January 2015. We can help you put a plan in place for the phase out of R22.
What is R22?
R22 is the refrigerant gas found in the majority of air conditioning equipment over 10 years old
R22 is a Hydrochloroflourocarbon (HCFC) which can potentially cause ozone depletion if leaked into the atmosphere
In 2003 R22 was banned from use in newly manufactured air conditioning systems.
How does this affect you?
From 1st January 2015 it will be illegal to use R22 to service AC equipment and recycled or reclaimed HCFC may no longer be used. This means that it is permissable to continue using equipment that contains HCFC’s beyond the phase out dates, but there must be no maintenance or servicing undertaken on the equipment that involves breaking into the refrigerant circuits.
An estimated 750,000 units which run on R22 are still in use today. If you have an air conditioning system which relies on R22 and it fails, it is essential that you have a plan in place to phase out the use of the gas by the end of 2014.
R22 – Your Options:
1) Switch to using clean “Drop-in” refrigerants
These alternative gases are similar to R22 however they are less harmful with zero ozone depletion potential. They are legal to use in air conditioning systems under EC regulations.
Pros –
- Minimal initial capital outlay
- Minimal disruption in short-term
Cons –
- manufacturers do not endorse the use of “drop-in” refrigerants
- Performance of “drop-in” gases is untested and there is no evidence to support their reliability
- Availability of spare parts for R22 systems is decreasing
- Running costs of R22 systems are significantly higher than new systems
- Energy usage and impact on the environment of R22 systems is far greater than modern alternatives.
2) Replace the whole system including pipework
Pros –
- Modern systems are much more efficient
- They are designed to use significantly less energy which reduces running costs
- Impact on the environment is greatly reduced
- New units come with the benefit of a warranty period
Cons –
- High initial capital outlay
- Significant short-term disruption
3) Replace only the indoor and outdoor units leaving existing wiring and pipework in place
Pros –
- Improves efficiency and performance
- Increases reliability
- Reduces running costs
- Lower capital outlay than replacing the whole system including pipework
- Faster and less disruptive than replacing the whole system
- Reduces waste by taking advantage of the infrastructure already in place
- Reduces CO2 emissions
Cons –
- This option is not always possible and some systems need to be completely replaced
- Initial capital outlay
- Short term disruption
R22 – Next steps…
We can help you plan to cost effectively replace existing R22 equipment. Our experts will take all factors into consideration to advise you of the best course of action.
Time is running out, don’t delay!
Please click on R22 Leaflet for a printer friendly version of this information.
