What’s the Difference Between R-22 and R-410A and How Does It Affect Florida Homeowners?

Remember the HVAC acronym soup we were talking about a while ago? Well, here are two more ingredients: the refrigerants R-22 and R-410A. Refrigerant is the stuff that carries heat from inside your house outside, letting your A/C keep your home cool. But what’s the difference between R-22 and R-410A?

R-22 was the industry standard refrigerant for quite some time. In fact, if you had your home’s air conditioner installed before 2010, there’s a pretty good chance that R-22 is what’s in your system now. But in 2010, R-22 was discontinued: it can no longer be used in new air conditioners.

There are a couple of good things that came out of this change. For one thing, R-22 was a hydro-chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), which meant that it was not good for the ozone layer. R-410A is a hydro-fluorocarbon (HFC) and is ozone-safe. Also, R-410A, which will become the official standard for A/C units in 2015, can carry more heat than R-22 could, which means the A/C as a whole can run cooler. This reduces your risk of compressor burnout. So not only is it better for the environment, it’s better for your A/C maintenance schedule!

Unfortunately, you can’t just drain your old R-22 out and replace it with R-410A. That’s because another difference between the two is that R-410A operates at a higher pressure than R-22. If you put R-410A in a system designed for R-22, the system wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure, and it could rupture or break!

So, if you’re looking to upgrade your home’s air conditioner, a system that uses R-410A will be your first stop. As R-22 systems phase out, the supply of old refrigerant will diminish and become more expensive for replacements.

If you’ve got any questions about how the refrigerant phaseout will affect you as a Florida homeowner, or about the difference between R-22 and R-410A, call us at Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning!

Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning is a full-service heating and air conditioning company and a Bryant® Factory Authorized Dealer in Central Florida. Whether you need repair, maintenance, or installation of a new heating or cooling system, we provide efficient, cost-effective, and professional service. When it’s hot, call Scott!

Categorised in: Air Conditioning