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SELECTED PRESS RELEASE:
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posted on:
6/30/2012 11:05:54 AM EST
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What You Should Know About Your HVAC Freon & EPA Phase-out of HCFCs
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, HVAC, EPA, R22, regulations, Hydrochlorofluorocarbons, HCFC,
 VISIT WEBSITE (learn more)
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Recently my home's air conditioning unit quit cooling. Painful when the outdoor temperatures are consistently around 102 degrees. Thankfully, I have an added insurance policy to cover my appliances and Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, so I called and filed a claim. The insurance company had their contractor come out and recommend charging the unit because it was very low on Freon. This is where it got interesting:
* No causal factors for the reduced Freon were annotated;
* No corrective actions for preventing the release of Freon were recommended; and,
* The HVAC system was utilizing R22 Freon, which is being phased out and strickly
regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
This got me to thinking that I should write a blog introducing everyone to this Freon type and why it is being phased out. I will also touch on some EPA regulations and recommendations for your use, in the case your HVAC system requires service and uses R22.
R22 Freon is a type of chemical called Hydrochlorofluorocarbons, or HCFCs. HCFCs have been traditionally used in the air conditioning, refrigerate and aerosol can spray industries. According to the EPA, the release of HCFCs damages the ozone layer of the Earth and, as a result, "the United States is one of more than 195 countries to phase out the manufacture of ozone-depleting substances and find alternatives." The phase-out is scheduled to happen like this:
* 01/2010: Ban on production, import and use of HCFC-22 and HCFC-142b except for
on-going servicing needs of existing equipment
* 01/2020: Ban on remaining production and import of HCFC-22 and HCFC-142b
Currently it is a felony for a contractor to operate against the EPA's established laws surrounding the use of HCFCs, the servicing or units utilizing HCFCs, or the removal/replacement of units utilizing HCFCs. For example, a mobile home company in Texas was fined $27,500 and a $10,000 bounty for improperly cutting and draining an air conditioning line of HCFCs.
What consumers should know:
* Contractors working on these units must be EPA certified (Section 608)
* Topping off leaking units is not recommended over fixing the leak or replacing the unit
* It's illegal to intentionally release HCFCs during repairs, service or maintenance of units
* "Recovered" HCFC can "in some cases" be used to recharge existing systems
* Alternative refrigerants are available and the EPA keeps a list of these for contractors'
use
There is a lot more that can be said about this. If you would like to learn more, let me know and I'll work on future blogs on the topic.
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 | | Thank you everyone. I appreciate you reading, commenting and sharing. I believe this is important information for everyone - consumers and contractors alike. If you are reading this and are a contractor, here is a good pamphlet from the EPA just for you: www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/downloads/technicianbrochure.pdf |
| | |  | | | |  | | This is a great blog post here Jason. I'll be sharing this now. A Great big G + T & L my friend. |
| | | | | Thank you, Ludwina. I hope you have a blessed day. |
| | |  | | A lot of great information, thanks for this nic blog post Jason |
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