9 Reasons to Switch to R-410A Refrigerant

1. R-22 Is Destructive

R-22 is the name of the refrigerant used in almost all air conditioning models. R-22 is the compound that converts warm air into cooled air. Unfortunately, R-22's cooling properties come with unwanted side-effects. The substance emits hydro-chlorofluorocarbons, commonly known as HCFCs, which have been found to destroy the ozone and contribute to global warming.

2. Maintain the Ozone, a Precious Resource

The ozone is the cloudlike layer in the stratosphere, which shields the Earth from the Sun's overpowering UV light. Without the ozone the Earth is left defenseless against harmful radiation. It would beworldcracked like walking outside on a summer day in Death Valley without sunscreen, a hat, or any form of shade.

3. Human Health

Excess radiation increases human vulnerability to cancer. Additionally, living in a world with less ozone means the weather will be more extreme; the summers hotter and the winters colder. Continuing to destroy the ozone leads to a creep in temperature, this eventually could become so intense that literally every living thing would cease to survive.

4. Environmental Hazard for Plants

The global warming caused by the ozone layer will cause plants to wither away. A slight change in calibration of temperature can disrupt an entire ecosystem, making it collapse. Consider the simplest food chain: if you remove one species from of the chain, it adversely affects everything that depends on it for food.

5. International Initiative

flagsInternational consensus finds the scientific evidence against R-22 compelling. The U.S. and the European Union have passed legislation making HCFC producing substances illegal. Industrialized nations and the air conditioning industry have worked together to phase out R-22. It is being replaced with R-410A refrigerant in air conditioners.

6. R-410A is Shifting to Become the Industry Standard

Manufacturers that produce R-22 have agreed to stop making the substance in 2010. The EPA has predicted that R-22 will be extremely scarce by 2015. This will make maintenance more difficult with those who own air conditioners using R-22. Manufacturers are currently phase-shifting to make the costs and breadth of making R-410A comparable to R-22. Contractors who install air conditioning units are in the process of learning how to work with R410-A air conditioners.

7. More Efficient Cooling

R-410A improves upon R-22 at doing its job. R-410A tests as more efficient at cooling. It uses a synthetic lubrication, which is an improvement on mineral oil used as a lubricant for machines with R-22. Synthetic lubrication and R-410A are more soluble than mineral oil and R-22.

8. R410-A is the Future of Refrigerants

R-410A will be used in every air conditioner made after 2010, which means that mean purchasing a model that uses R-22 will be inconvenient and costly in the future. The U.S. has purposefully implemented institutional change due to the importance of preserving the ozone.

9. Go Green

Air conditioners that use R-410A are by far the more eco-friendly choice. You can further decrease your carbon footprint by choosing models that have a high Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) or Energy Star® certification. If you're feeling especially heroic, try to use your air conditioner as little as possible and unplug portable air conditioners when they aren't in use.