NEW 410A REFRIGERANT MANDATE RECAP

You've probably heard the news about the 410A refrigerant mandate. How would you be affected should your air conditioning system need repair or replacement? Find your answers here.

Effective January 1, 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency, under Title VI of the Clean Air Act, will no longer allow air conditioning equipment that uses the refrigerant R-22 (commonly known by the brand name Freon®) to be manufactured. This new mandate is designed to protect the environment from ozone depleting hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) that can be released through leaks and improper disposal.

The Montreal Protocol requires the U.S. to reduce its consumption of HCFCs by 75% below the U.S. baseline. Allowance holders may only produce or import HCFC-22 to service existing equipment. Virgin R-22 may not be used in new equipment. As a result, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system manufacturers may not produce new air conditioners and heat pumps containing R-22.

A new refrigerant, 410A, (commonly known by the brand name Puron®) is available and is less harmful to the ozone or environment if it leaks from an air conditioning system.

IMPORTANT. Kitchen refrigerators are not affected by the 410A Mandate because they use a different type of refrigerant than air conditioning units.

SOURCES:

http://www.epa.gov/Ozone/title6/downloads/EPA.homeowners.9-06-06.pdf