A/C Refrigerant Leak? It May Be Time For A New Unit

If you see the telltale signs of a refrigerant leak – warm air coming from your vents combined with frost or ice on your outdoor condenser – it’s definitely time for air conditioner service.

It may also be time to replace your A/C.

Historically, recharging a system with refrigerant was an easy process for a qualified A/C technician. But a change in the law has made things a little more complicated – at least for the owners of older systems.

Refrigerant: The Good News And Bad News

Since January 1, 2020, the U.S. has halted the production and import of R22 refrigerant – commonly known as Freon. This is largely because Freon is an ozone-depleting substance (ODS). The refrigerant that replaced it, called Puron (also called R-410A, Forane, EcoFluor, or Suva) is kinder to the ozone that Freon, and kinder overall to the environment.

Sounds great, right? Now for the bad news.

The ban of Freon has made the coolant almost impossible to find in the U.S., and when it is available it is extremely expensive. Most air conditioning units built after 2010 are already using Puron, but if you still have an A/C built before 2010, it could still be using Freon – making a system replacement more practical than a repair or recharge.

The Bottom Line

If you have an HVAC system that has a leak and your system was installed before 2010, you need to start planning for replacement of that legacy system – sooner than later.

A Tom Fricker Complete Heating & Cooling technician can check your A/C unit to see if it is currently using R-22 Freon or R-410A Puron. If it uses Freon, we can suggest an equivalent Puron air conditioning system to replace it with.

For expert air conditioner installation in Norfolk and Middlesex counties, trust the pros at Tom Fricker Complete Heating & Cooling. We’ll work with you to find a home cooling solution you’re Completely Happy with! Contact us today to get a FREE, no-obligation estimate on cooling system installations in Massachusetts!