How does…?

How does Air Conditioning actually work?

An air conditioner can change the temperature, humidity, even the general quality of the air in your home. More specifically, an air conditioner makes your home cooler, by absorbing heat energy from the house and transferring that heat outside, then replacing the air inside your home with cooler air.

The air conditioner in a central heating and cooling system provides cool air through ductwork inside your home, by providing a process that draws out the warm air inside, removing its heat. In a split system, the compressor condenses and circulates the refrigerant through the outdoor unit, changing it from a gas to a liquid. The liquid is then forced through the indoor evaporator coil or cooling compartment. The indoor unit’s fan circulates the inside air to pass across the evaporator fins. The evaporator’s metal fins exchange the thermal energy with the air around it. There, the refrigerant turns from liquid into vapor, removing any heat from the surrounding air. As the heat is removed from the air, the air is cooled and blown back into the house.

From that point, the condenser or outdoor unit then turns the refrigerant vapor back into a liquid, removing any heat. By the time the fluid leaves the evaporator again, it is a cool, low-pressure gas, eventually returning to the condenser to begin its trip all over again. This process continues again and again until your home reaches the cooling temperature you want, as programmed and sensed by your thermostat setting.

How does the phaseout of R-22 (Freon) affect me?

R-22 is a refrigerant often used in air conditioners and heat pumps. Because R-22 depletes the ozone layer, production and import was significantly reduced in 2010. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reduced the production of R-22 refrigerant once again for 2013. This represents a 70% reduction from the approved R-22 production of 2010. Since 2015, there has been almost a complete ban on the production of R-22.

Well first, the price of R-22 refrigerant is skyrocketing as we speak. It has already doubled since this time last year and is expected to triple in the next few years. In turn, this could very well drive up the cost of maintaining and servicing your air conditioner or heat pump. Secondly, the supply of R-22 refrigerant is already limited, and as the phase out continues and prices rise, you can expect availability to fall. Eventually, contractors may not be able to guarantee to always have R-22 on hand.

If you have an existing R-22 heat pump or air conditioning system, you do not have to rush out and buy a new R-410A system right away. You can continue using it, but at the very least, you should make sure to properly maintain your unit. Regular servicing minimizes potential environmental damage along with the higher maintenance costs due to mechanical breakdowns or refrigerant leaks.

But for our customers who have R-22 systems over 10 years old, you may want to consider replacing now rather than later. Why?