Refrigerant R22 Phase Out – Customers Need to Plan Ahead
R22 Refrigerant Gas Phase Out & Drop in Replacement
Phase out of R22 in refrigeration and air conditioning system’s –
Since 1st January 2010 no more virgin refrigerant R22 can be used in existing systems.
After 2015 no more recycled refrigerant R22 can be used in existing systems.
If you have recently installed an R22 air conditioning system the phase out dates should be a cause for your concern. Your system will only require additional refrigerant should a leak or major repair is required and this can be effected within current legislation until 2015 and only reclaimed / recycled R22 gas can be used or if you happen to have any held on site as stock.
Existing units using R22 can not continue to be serviced with R22 since 1st of January 2010. Therefore new refrigerant can not be bought to fill this system only existing, stockpiled or reclaimed. In addition, the new substitute refrigerants cannot be used without making some changes to system components. As a result, service technicians who repair leaks to the system will continue to charge R22 into the system as part of that repair.
We are advising customers who have very old equipment to consider replacing the equipment, at some point in the next 3 years, as the cost of converting the old equipment, coupled with the potential for key components to fail, after the changes have been made, it makes more sense to put that money towards new equipment that will last with regular servicing 20 to 30 years.
We offer 3 years warranty on new equipment, this being subject to a service contract being in place with Chillaire with a minimum of 2 x service visits per annum. This removes any worries or concerns for any customer for the first 3 years at least, however we find that, any problems that are going to occur with a system, tend to occur in these first 3 years, if they don’t, the system will most likely run trouble free for years without any problems.
The only other checks required, would be the regular leak test inspections, as per the F Gas regulations, again with old equipment, the potential for gas leaks to occur are far higher than with new equipment.
The new equipment would be high energy efficient, so cheaper to run and will comply with the new energy assessment requirements set by the government.
