Facts About Freon – Don’t Be Fooled
- If you have an older A/C system, it most likely has R-22, commonly known as Freon.
- If your system has been maintained for efficiency and works well, you don’t need to do anything at this time!
- If your current A/C system has R-22 and things are not working, consider this advice:
- Any A/C system is a closed system – meaning it should never need refrigerant.
- If Freon is needed there is a leak. How large a leak the system has is not easily determined.
- Because it is an older system, a leak search and repair will be in excess of the maximum recommended repair and replacement should be highly considered.
- Any repair made to your old system is just a Band-Aid.
- If major electrical repairs are needed, and the cost exceeds $250, replacement is highly recommended.
- If your technician explains that the system needs Freon, regardless of how low the system is, consider this:
Why Is This Happening?
Read more about Freon in The Chicago Tribune
R-22/Freon is being phased out. The phaseout began in September 1994. As of January 1, 2020, R22 can no longer be manufactured or imported into the U.S.
Over the past 10 years, manufacturers have had mandated limits as to the amount of R22 they can produce, which means there is a limited amount of R22 available to maintain air-conditioning systems like yours.
As of 2020, this shortage will turn into a drought, and the cost of the refrigerant freon will go up. Even now, it is now significantly higher than it was when your air-conditioning system was installed.
We don’t want to pass along exorbitant refrigerant costs to our clients! In addition, there are challenges with trying to maintain air-conditioning systems with R22. That’s why we made the decision that once our current inventory is gone, which will be just a matter of months. We will not be ordering more. We will make it through the 2019 season, but beyond that what little inventory we have will be in demand and costs will rise.
If you want to ensure your comfort going forward, we can help. There are a number of new, more environmentally-friendly systems we can install for you that use an approved refrigerant. In addition, we offer flexible financing options to help ease the cost of replacement. ComEd also issues Cash-Back Rebates up to $400 – $600 for qualifying units.