I ve heard a lot about new refrigerants. What are the facts?
Residential heat pumps and air conditioners contain a refrigerant called R-22 which is classified as an HCFC. This is an environmentally safe and efficient refrigerant that will be available as long as your new system will last. There are some rulings being made by the US Environmental Protection Agency which require changes be made to refrigerants but not until the year 2020. Manufacturers will be producing units using R-22 until the year 2010 and the refrigerant itself will be available until 2030. Manufacturers are testing many new refrigerants (and have been doing so for over 10 years). There are currently two frontrunners as possible replacements for R-22. One is called R-134 and the other is R-410A. One manufacturer who markets equipment under three different names has chosen to offer R-410A refrigerant in some units and they have given this refrigerant a “name”-Puron. No other manufacturer has taken a chance with this refrigerant because it operates at higher pressures than R-22
