As most people know, the use of Freon inside of any type of refrigeration system is going to be illegal by 2020 in the United States. There are many countries that are also aware of the dangers of this chlorofluorocarbon which has been responsible for damage to the ozone layer. It is ozone which allows us to stay safe, protected from harmful ultraviolet radiation, that is blocked because of this molecule which resides in the stratosphere. To comply with the law, people are having to replace this refrigerant with something different. However, there are some problems that may occur as you are trying to swap out one refrigerant for the other. Here is the challenge of new A/C refrigerants today that many people are encountering, depending upon the type of refrigeration system they are using.
Why Does Freon Have To Be Removed By 2020?
Freon must be removed from all refrigeration units by 2020 because of how it affects the ozone layer. In particular, it is because of the chlorine that is in its molecular structure. When it comes in contact with ozone, which is a combination of three oxygen atoms, it causes one of them to become dislodged. When this occurs, it converts the ozone into oxygen, and it’s ability to block ultraviolet radiation suddenly does not exist. This was first discovered decades ago when NASA was able to monitor the ozone layer. They were noticing that the entire continent of Antarctica had a huge hole in the ozone layer. They realized that because of aerosol sprays, and also refrigerants that were leaking out of these units, that the ozone was being depleted. Since that time, with the advent of the removal of aerosol sprays, we have seen a dramatic improvement. Therefore, since Freon was the most commonly used, alternatives needed to be developed.
Alternatives For Freon That Have Been Developed
There are several refrigerants that have been developed since the announcement that Freon was harmful to the ozone layer. Some of these include R-407C, R-134A, and many others. A company called Bluon Energy has created, TdX 20, considered to be the best replacement for Freon in the industry. It is able to mimic almost every aspect of what Freon is able to do, yet it is an improved version, capable of extracting heat from the air even at lower amounts of pressure. Once these were developed, people started testing them in different refrigeration systems. It is because of this testing, and this need for alternatives, that we have so many of them today.
Challenges That Developers Faced When Creating These Replacements
When Freon is passed through the compressor and condenser within an AC system, it is able to absorb heat very efficiently. What many people noticed was that the different products that were created were either leaking out, or certain modifications needed to be made on existing systems before they could be used. That’s why the development of products like TdX 20 has become so important. Instead of having to make physical changes to the refrigeration systems, they have actually been able to improve the systems because less compression is needed. They are getting better results, and using less electricity with all of their units, without having to change a thing. This challenge has been answered by companies like Bluon and many others, challenges that were once thought to be impossible to recover from. Therefore, when choosing a new refrigerant, you will want to select one that is the co-equivalent of Freon. These choices will give you several that will work very well as that replacement.
Are There Any Other Challenges Related To Replacing Existing Refrigerants?
The other challenges that they faced had to do with the extraction of the Freon. It had to be done in such a way that none of it would escape. They use different techniques, allowing the professional HVAC technician to extract both the gaseous and liquid form of the Freon. Doing so eliminates the possibility of co-contamination with trace amounts of Freon which could affect the ability of the new refrigerants to function. The other problem that they faced was convincing people that this needed to be done long before 2020. By showing them that they could save money on their utility bills, and get better results from their refrigeration systems, this has motivated many people to do the changeover before it is mandated.
The Many Benefits Of Using These New Refrigerants
Aside from the challenges that were faced, they also discovered that there were many benefits to doing this. Some of those have already been presented. The most obvious benefit is the lower energy bill that businesses will have once they have changed over to a much more efficient type of coolant. Additional benefits include the ability to avoid getting an entirely new refrigeration system. It is because they are able to extract R-22 so efficiently, completely removing it from the system, that they are able to do these fast changeovers that are also relatively inexpensive.
If you are a business with a substantial number of refrigeration systems, you now have the motivation necessary to get this done. You should have all of these changed out in a very short period of time. This is a process that should be done by a fully trained and certified HVAC technician that is well aware of how to go through this process. This means that no Freon will be released, and they will be able to fully check your system once the new refrigerant is installed. This could cost thousands of dollars, depending upon how many you have, but you are going to save tens of thousands of dollars by making this decision. Most importantly, you will be in compliance with laws that require the Freon to be removed by 2020. It is a win-win situation for everyone that uses these new refrigerants that are available today. It is important to contact HVAC companies as early as possible as most of them are very busy doing this for other businesses in your area. By comparing the prices that they charge, you will also be able to find an affordable business that will do this exchange for you for a reasonable price.
