Written by Daniel Walker, Walker Company Heating & Air (303) 386-4082
I often receive service calls from customers telling me “it is time to recharge my system, it has been a year”. When I ask these customers what makes them think they need refrigerant added every cooling season, they tell me that they have been made to think that refrigerant goes bad and air conditioners need to be recharged on a seasonal basis. I don’t know where this line of thinking has come, from but let’s set the record straight:
First, lets talk about refrigerants found in conventional air conditioning systems:
- CFC (Carbon, Florine, Chlorine) The most common refrigerant that this composition was found in was R-12. This composition was phased out by the EPA in 1994 due to its highly destructive nature to ozone when released into the atmosphere. This refrigerant is also a greenhouse gas. When contained in a sealed system or container, R-12 is considered safe.
- HCFC (Hydrogen, Chlorine, Florine, Carbon) The most common refrigerant that this composition was found in was R-22. These refrigerants are only 10% as destructive to ozone as a CFC when released into the atmosphere. This refrigerant is also a greenhouse gas. R-22 was phased out by the EPA in 2010. When contained in a sealed system or container, R-22 is considered safe.
- HFC (Hydrogen, Florine, Carbon) The most common refrigerant that this composition is found in is probably R-134A. It is used in cars and refrigerators. However, R-410A used in air conditioner systems is is becoming every bit as common. This composition was initially considered ozone safe. The chlorine in refrigerants was the direct ozone depleting component. Recent studies conducted by NASA have found that, though HCFC refrigerants do not contain chlorine, the green house effects of the refrigerant is speeding the chemical reactions in the atmosphere that deplete ozone. HFC refrigerants, when contained in a sealed system or container, are considered safe.
When I ask these customers what makes them think they need refrigerant added every cooling season, they tell me that they have been made to think that refrigerant goes bad and air conditioners need to be recharged on a seasonal basis. I don’t know where this line of thinking has come, from but let’s set the record straight!
On July 4th 2015 the EPA announced the eventual phase-out of HFC refrigerants. For automobile and refrigeration systems the date is by the year 2020. Automobile manufacturers and refrigerator manufacturers have already started making the change to the new generation of refrigerants. The EPA did not include residential or commercial air conditioning systems in this announcement. Likely because R-22 was just phased out in 2010. Predictions are being made for a complete phase-out of HFC refrigerants by the year 2020.
So, does refrigerant go bad? In a way, through restrictions put in place to protect the environment, the answer is yes. In the context of how this article started, the answer is NO. Within a sealed air conditioning system, the life of CFC, HCFC & HFC refrigerants is well beyond the life of the equipment using them. If refrigerant must be added to make your air conditioning system work properly, then the refrigerant is leaking or has been released in some other way. The EPA has strict guidelines for refrigerant leaks that must be followed by contractors. If your technician is adding refrigerant every year to your air conditioning system, I would recommend finding another technician. This person is wasting your money, shortening the life of your equipment and, most importantly, harming the environment.