In this insightful article Kevin Grove gives us an inside look at the upcoming ban of R22. According to the article R22 is is a refrigerant used in air conditioning systems and has been banned in new air conditioning systems since 2003. Kevin goes over what steps repair technicians will need to take to re-service air conditioner units that had previously run on R22. Also covered in the article was a recent panel of experts held at the Royal Society of Medicine where issues regarding the ban’s impact on business was discussed by building managers, consultants, architects and business leaders.

Information | R-22 Phaseout — The Refrigerant Changes and What It Means for Your Home – http://t.co/38f9AOvHSN #HVAC

— Comfort24-7 (@comfort247) July 18, 2013

More information about the ban of r22 here – http://r-22-refrigerants.blogspot.com/2013/06/counting-down-to-ban-on-r22.html

Science is not just for people who watch The Wizard of Oz, as proved by this blogger who relates the way the witch melts to climate changes in the South. Heat has a huge effect on the world around us, especially when it is paired with water and perspiration of the human body. When water collects in an air conditioning unit, and can change how that unit cools your home. Also, when water is released from the body during a hot day, it will change how hot or cold you feel in the hot summer weather. It gets so hot in the South, it sometimes appears the people are melting like the wicked witch.

@sdwx94 Tropical cyclones rely on latent heat release of water vapor, a warmer & more moist atmospheric column is more supportive

— Weather Advance (@WeatherAdvance) July 20, 2013

Are you familiar with Wizard of Oz? Then discover now what happens to the witch of the south – http://www.energyvanguard.com/blog-building-science-HERS-BPI/bid/60024/Latent-Heat-is-the-Wicked-Witch-of-the-South

The EPA has just released a list of dangerous flammable refrigerants. Both homeowners and contractors should be vigilant. The list is based on “substitutes” which are reviewed on the basis of ozone depletion potential, global warming potential, toxicity, flammability, and exposure potential.

Lists of acceptable and unacceptable substitutes are updated several times each year. A chronological list of SNAP updates is also available. Some of the unacceptable refrigerants include Hexafluropropylene (HFP) which is highly toxic. Acceptable alternatives are determined to reduce the overall risk to human health and the environment. These alternatives may be used without restriction in specific end-uses.

Check out the FAQ for R-22a here – http://www.epa.gov/ozone/snap/r22a.html

R-22a, also known as 22a Refrigerant, is a really flammable gas/. It’s colorless and even heavier than air. The product’s Material Data Safety Sheet (MSDS) states that it is composed of “liquefied petroleum gas.” Its contents have been identified as propane; in some cases, it may also contain small amounts of other hydrocarbons or a pine-scented odorant. If R-22a come into contact with an ignition source it can explode.

Here is a list of acceptable substitutes –  http://www.epa.gov/ozone/snap/refrigerants/lists/homeac.html

Beware of Flammable R-22a Refrigerants!

The price of coolant for air conditioners and refrigerators (R-22) is strictly controlled by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EPA has created a sort of coolant cartel. The price of R-22 might be changing because over the last three months the EPA has increased R-22 allocations, China has agreed to control its emissions, and a new bill was introduced to Congress to enforce refrigerant leaks. Some states are also cracking down on leak offenders.

The EPA has created a myriad of legal hurdles and red tape for itself and the cooling industry. R-22’s price remains volatile and unpredictable as does any industry relying on climate controlled environments.

Refrigerant Pricing Prediction:  http://refrigerantauthority.com/blog/predicting-refrigerant-prices-availability/

From year 2009 to 2012 about 8 million new air conditioning units are sold with R-22, a charge around 7 LBS each. In 2004 the sale of R-22 was 385 million LBS. The total units in service with the commercial unit would be around 14 years, residential unit is 18 years, and chiller would be 30+ years.

The weight of a commercial unit is 16 lbs, residential 7 lbs, chiller is about 450 lbs each. AHRI only releases the data as aggregates, breaking it down is practically impossible! About 11 million A/C units are bought, sold, and used a year in America. over 10000 chillers are sold and installed a year. In 2010-2012 there was 205-290 million lbs used.

Going back to 1999 there were 1.2 billion lbs. installed in that year. There was a very steep drop in 2010, now making it 2012-2013 there is approximately 1.5 billion installed in systems today.

Read More – http://refrigerantauthority.com/blog/how-many-pounds-of-r-22-refrigerant-are-installed-in-climate-systems-in-the-usa/

Freon, which is also commonly called R-22, is scheduled to be phased out of use.

In the year 2020, there is supposed to be no more freon production in the world. The use of freon contributes to the destruction of the ozone layer of the planet.

People will still be able to use the gas, freon, after 2020 even though the production will be stopped then. They can do this by recovering old freon in old appliances, such as old air conditioners.

However, there is already a ban in place on producing new equipment which runs on freon gas. Replacing systems can be costly, and TrakRef can save homeowners, renters and commercial businesses lots of money in the long run.

The R-22 Pricing Increase Effects on Commercial System Owners