How will the new, environmentally friendly refrigerant affect me?
The 1990 Clean Air Act and the internationally binding Montreal Protocol calls for an international phase out on future manufacturing of the refrigerant R-22, which is currently used in most air conditioning and heat pump systems. Historically, when a refrigerant has been phased out, the cost of that refrigerant has risen dramatically. Also, the costs for servicing products using a phased out refrigerant have risen as well. According to current government regulations, the production of R-22 will be reduced by nearly one-fourth by 2004. By the year 2012, the production of R-22 will be reduced by nearly one-half of the current production. That means all R-22 products will eventually need to be replaced by products utilizing the new chlorine-free refrigerant.
