There is one absolute fact about R22 refrigerant, and that is that it is expensive! R22 refrigerant is becoming largly scarce in the US, there are rumors at the supply house that some contractors are charging up to $160 per pound and the price could go up depending on the application.
R22 refrigerant is largely used in commercial and residential applications, and if your equipment is older than 10 years, there is a good chance R22 is in your system.
Due to its harmful efects to the ozon layer, the EPA has announced that R22 sales will be illegal in the United States on January 1, 2020. After that R22 can no longer be used, manufactured or imported into the US.
So, what does that mean for you?
You might be thinking, I’m screwed, I have to replace my equipment. Well, that is exactly what most contractors want you to do, you have no option but to replace your equipment!
Fortunately, that is not the case. If your equipment is still in good shape and worth saving, there is an alternative to R22, Foreane manufactures a refrigerant replacement for R 22 that is totally compatible with R22 equipment, and legal to buy in the United States.
Retrofitting your system to Forane 427A is a simple procedure that a service technician can perform to save you thousands of dollars on new equipment.
What is Forane R-427A?
Refrigerant (R-427A) was commercialized in 2005 to supply the growing demand in Europe for an R-22 retrofit. R-427A has a similar capacity, efficiency, and mass-flow rate to R-22, making it an easy retrofit option for large, medium, and small air-conditioning and refrigeration systems. Hundreds of thousands of systems have been converted over to R-427A since 2005, many using the existing mineral and POE oil originally in the system. One major advantage of using Forane® 427A is the mass-flow rate. Unlike other retrofit refrigerants, R-427A’s mass-flow rate is within 8% of R-22. Rarely will an expansion device need to be changed, while maintaining a very close capacity comparison to R-22.
Can my system be retrofitted to R-427A?
Different systems, different compressors, and the age/condition of the installation could all impact performance when transitioning to another refrigerant. Poor airflow and design load could also impact performance. Be aware of these conditions before retrofitting. Systems that are not running properly on R-22 most likely not perform any better with R427a.
In order to determine if your system is eligible to be retrofitted as R427A, your technician must physically inspect the system and determine whether the retrofit is feasible or not.
Call us @ (847) 4507850 to schedule your free assessment.
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