R-22… The dirty little secret- Wenatchee Home and Quincy Home Inspection Service

R-22… The dirty little secret- Wenatchee Home and Quincy Home Inspection Service

Most people take the Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps for granted. You really do not think about them much until something goes wrong.

Well as a home inspector I feel that I should provide my clients with information that may have an effect on their investment.

One of my extra little tidbits is on the refrigerant known as R-22. This is by far the most common refrigerant found in residential heat pumps and air conditioners today. But this will now come at a price when servicing is required.

In 1987 theMontreal Protocol, produced an international environmental agreement. This agreement established requirements that started the worldwide phase-out of ozone-depleting CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) which the refrigerant R-22 (HCFC-22) is part of. (EPA Link)

Here is the phase out schedule from the EPA

Because the EPA is putting restrictions on production and importation this refrigerant just recently jumped in cost of a 30-pound tank of R-22 went from about $150 to about $400 per tank.

Homeowners who would have paid about $20 a pound during a service charge could now pay about $50 a pound and we can assume this cost will rise over time.

The refrigerant of choice in the US now is R-410A.

HVAC manufacturers are required to phase out production of R-22 equipment. But R-22 refrigerant may still be in systems manufactured prior to 2010.

The next issue is that R-410A usually cannot be retrofitted into most existing systems due to its higher working pressures.

If you decide to purchase an air conditioner/heat pump that uses R-410A you will need a HVAC professional to inspect your indoor unit to see if it meets the performance requirements of the R-410A system. Most of the older systems will most likely need replacing.

Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.

Mark Twain

NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Orville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

509-670-9572 or on the web atwww.ncwhomeinspections.com