The HVAC industry has been abuzz over the past few months about the recent changes to Freon regulations. Some providers are hoarding the substance, while many customers have started to question whether they are even allowed to run their air conditioner. However, there’s a lot of misinformation out there about what is and isn’t legal in relation to Freon. Keep reading to learn what’s going on with the 2020 Freon ban, and make sure to hire our skilled AC techs at Premier Indoor Comfort Systems for all your HVAC needs.
The 2020 Freon Phaseout
Right off the bat, it’s important to establish that Freon isn’t technically “banned” in the United States. While the Environmental Protection Agency has been trying to get rid of the refrigerant R-22, more commonly known as Freon, since the 1980s, the government organization’s recent actions were actually more akin to a phaseout rather than an outright ban.
Freon is classified as an ozone-depleting substance under the Clean Air Act. Amid mounting pressures surrounding global warming, the EPA began ramping up efforts to get rid of Freon in 2010. In 2015, they slowed down the importing and manufacturing of the substance in the U.S., culminating in the so-called “ban” that went into effect on January 1st, 2020. However, it’s important to note that while it is no longer legal to import and produce Freon in the United States, it remains legal to sell and use it. Hence the EPA’s goal of the recent regulations— to slowly phaseout the substance, making the HVAC industry less reliant on R-22 and incentivizing consumers to make the switch to non-Freon-based air conditioners.
How the Freon Ban May Affect You
If you are still using a Freon-based air conditioner, you have a couple of choices: A) Wait until U.S. Freon stores are completely gone, and then switch to a new system, B) Retrofit your current system so it runs on a coolant other than Freon, or C) Purchase a new, energy-efficient AC unit now.
At Premier Indoor Comforts Systems, we highly recommend choice C. We offer AC installations for all the top makes and models of equipment on the market and our technicians are highly trained to help you find the perfect system to suit your needs. Call now for affordable financing on industry-leading brands, and upgrade your air conditioner before the entire U.S. supply of Freon is gone—and you’re left to fend off the summer heat on your own!
Premier Indoor Comfort Systems is available at (770) 268-2422, or you can contact us online.