Air Conditioner use refrigerants to absorb and transfer the heat from your home or business.
Many older Air Conditioning systems use R-22 refrigerant (Freon) to absorb the heat, however by mandate of the EPA, to reduce the negative impact it has on the ozone layer, the production of R-22 (Freon) was discontinued in January 2020. Since 2010, new air conditioners rely on a refrigerant called R410A (Puron).
How does this affect my air conditioner?
Due to the phaseout of R-22 (Freon), even minor problems on older models still using it are likely to be expensive and sometimes impossible to repair. If your system still utilized R-22, we highly recommend upgrading your cooling system to comply with regulations. Upgrading your system is not only more environmentally responsible but the latest models are more efficient which will reduce operation costs. You’ll enjoy superior cooling capacity, dehumidification, and air circulation all while reducing your electric bill.
If you do have an older system using R-22, you can be impacted in the following ways:
- While you can continue to use your existing system, R22 refrigerant will only be available by way of after-market sales (recovered from salvaged systems).
- The cost of R22 is only going up, making even minor refrigerant leaks a costly repair.
- Limited availability will make it much more difficult, if not impossible to recharge R22 refrigerant in the future.
Refrigerant Information for A/C Systems
You may also few additional phase-out detail from the EPA at this link:
Understanding the Role of Refrigerant in Your AC System
If your air conditioner is blowing warm air, forming ice on the copper lines, or making a soft hissing sound near the outdoor unit, the culprit is often refrigerant. This chemical compound is the working fluid that makes cooling possible, and understanding how it functions helps you recognize when something has gone wrong. At AMHAC, we field questions about refrigerant nearly every cooling season, and we believe informed homeowners across Eastchester, Scarsdale, New Rochelle, White Plains, Bronxville, Mamaroneck, Riverdale, Yonkers, NY and Greenwich, CT make better decisions about their comfort systems.
Refrigerant absorbs heat from the air inside your home and releases it outdoors, cycling continuously between liquid and gas states. As it evaporates inside the indoor coil, it pulls warmth out of the passing air. It then travels to the outdoor condenser, where it is compressed and releases that captured heat. This closed-loop process repeats thousands of times, and because the loop is sealed, a properly functioning system never consumes or burns off refrigerant the way an engine burns fuel.
Why Refrigerant Levels Drop
Since refrigerant operates in a sealed system, a low charge almost always signals a leak rather than normal depletion. Corrosion in the coils, vibration-loosened fittings, factory defects, and physical damage can all create pinhole openings where refrigerant escapes. Even a slow leak reduces the system’s ability to absorb heat, forcing the compressor to work harder while delivering less cooling.
Simply adding more refrigerant without finding the leak is a temporary fix that wastes money and harms the environment. When our technicians visit a home in Scarsdale, Bronxville, Eastchester, or the surrounding communities, we locate the source of the loss before recharging. This methodology protects your investment and prevents repeat service calls during the hottest weeks of the year.
Refrigerant Types and the Industry Transition
The HVAC industry has undergone significant regulatory change regarding refrigerant chemistry. Older systems used R-22, commonly called Freon, which has been phased out of production due to its ozone-depleting properties. Systems manufactured in recent years use R-410A, and the industry is now transitioning toward newer low-global-warming-potential blends such as R-454B and R-32. Understanding what your system uses matters for both repair strategy and long-term planning.
Here are the key points homeowners should know about refrigerant types:
- R-22 systems: No longer supported by new production, making recharges increasingly expensive and often signaling that replacement is the wiser path.
- R-410A systems: The current standard in many homes, operating at higher pressures than R-22 and requiring compatible components throughout.
- Next-generation refrigerants: Lower environmental impact blends now entering the market as manufacturers meet updated federal requirements.
Our Refrigerant Service Process
When you call AMHAC for a cooling concern related to refrigerant, we follow a disciplined diagnostic sequence rather than guessing. Accurate measurement and leak detection form the foundation of every reliable repair we perform.
- Pressure verification: We connect calibrated gauges to read both suction and liquid line pressures against manufacturer specifications for your specific model.
- Leak detection: Using electronic sniffers, ultraviolet dye, or bubble solutions, we pinpoint exactly where refrigerant is escaping.
- Repair and evacuation: After sealing or replacing the compromised component, we evacuate the system with a vacuum pump to remove moisture and non-condensable gases.
- Precise recharge: We weigh in the exact refrigerant charge specified by the manufacturer, then verify performance through superheat and subcooling measurements.
This attention to technical detail ensures your system runs at peak efficiency. An overcharge stresses the compressor and wastes energy, while an undercharge reduces capacity and can freeze the coil. Getting the charge right down to the ounce is the difference between a system that limps along and one that cools reliably for years.
Protecting Your Comfort and Your Equipment
Refrigerant handling is regulated work that requires EPA certification, proper recovery equipment, and safe disposal practices. Improper handling releases harmful compounds into the atmosphere and can damage your equipment. Our technicians are trained to manage these substances responsibly across every service we provide.
At All Makes Heating & Air Conditioning (AMHAC) we dedicate time together towards improving the experience we provide to our clients. Although decisions and actions aren’t always clear-cut, it’s our values that provide us with guidelines for our choices. It is through the company standards that we improve our chances to behave consistently as a team on giving memorable experiences and making our family, friends, neighbors, and suppliers glad to live and work with us. Call AMHAC and experience our mission and values firsthand. We will ensure that servicing and/or replacing your HVAC equipment will be an outstanding customer experience.
