Posted on 08/26/2008 8:33:16 PM PDT by Libloather
EPA: Ban ozone-depleting air conditioners by 2010
By Solnik, Claude
Publication: Long Island Business News
Date: Friday, September 7 2007
The air conditioning industry is getting a breath of fresh air as federal regulations phase out ozone-depleting units from homes and commercial buildings.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is slowly doing away with air conditioners that spout hydrocarbons, which deplete the ozone layer.
The agency, as of 2010, is banning manufacturers from making units with a refrigerant known as R-22, commonly used to cool residential and commercial spaces. The substance, also known as chlorodifluoromethane, or difluoromonochloromethane, spews clouds of hydrocarbons into the air, hurting the ozone and contributing to global warming.
A new generation of more environmentally friendly AC units will be powered by gases such as R-410A, a mixture of difluoromethane and pentafluoroethane - which don't damage the ozone as severely.
Ronald Pento, president of RP Cooling Corp., a Hicksville commercial air conditioning contractor, said the shift will require not only a new substance, but new units.
"The change is a big deal," Pento said. "You couldn't put R-410A in an R-22 system."
Pento said R-410A refrigerant uses higher pressure, so it isn't compatible with R-22 systems. R-22 units typically require 250 pounds to 300 pounds of pressure per inch, he noted, while R-410A units run at around 400 pounds of pressure. This greater stress on the system could lead to briefer useful life and more repairs.
"You can imagine the difference on wear and tear on the equipment," Pento said. "It runs at such high pressure, I think the equipment will have a harder time as it gets older. My opinion is eventually they will find a substitute for R-410A."
Even if R-410A catches on, that doesn't mean people will rush to scrap old units, since it will still be legal to use and repair units with R-22 gas. The EPA will continue to allow R-22 to be produced for existing units until 2020; the agency said the gradual phase-out of R-22 could make the gas more costly, but it doesn't expect any price spikes.
"Consumers should be aware that prices of R-22 may increase as supplies dwindle," according to a written statement by the agency. "EPA believes that consumers are not likely to be subjected to major price increases within a short time period."
The shift to R-410A is just the latest effort to make air conditioners more environmentally friendly. The industry already phased out R-12, which did even more damage to the ozone.
"It's not that you can't get it," Pento said of R-12. "It's so highly taxed that it's not reasonable to use it anymore."
Business for the HVAC industry on Long Island has been lukewarm at best, and Mother Nature hasn't cooperated. "It hasn't been a hot, hot summer," Pento said, noting sizzling summers typically boost sales.
Pento also said the industry faces a shortage of new HVAC technicians, which he attributes to the nature of the work. "Air conditioning is a dirty, hard business," Pento said. "A lot of kids today don't want to do that."
NO, you want to buy the old style. You will be able to get 12 years before the refrigerant is out of production. By then, it will be time to buy a new unit, and they will have improved the reliability of them.
I live in the desert and have two 4 ton units, one of which is a couple of years old. My AC tech told me to replace the older unit before 2010 so as not to have a new unproven system which could require lots of repairs.
The Fix is in, what a kiloload of crap.
This like all the other changes just benefits the HVAC guys.
They have an incredible lobbying arm apparently.
410A is not new, it’s been out for over ten years.
Great. Another technically illiterate reporter.
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is slowly doing away with air conditioners that spout hydrocarbons”
Hydrocarbons?????? Is the EPA banning diesel powed air conditioners?
THEY’RE CHLOROFLOROCABBONS, AKA CFC’s, YOU MORONS!
“doing away with air conditioners that spout hydrocarbons, which deplete the ozone layer.”
Utter tripe....the refrigerent is in a closed loop system....unless there is a leak...nothing escapes..
“AC units will be powered by gases such as R-410A, a mixture of difluoromethane and pentafluoroethane - which don’t damage the ozone as severely.”
An admission that R-410A DOES cause harm...just not as MUCH?
Anoter great scam fueled by leftist policies...
Clearly business would love us all to replace everything we own every couple of years....it’s good for the bottom line....now thanks to liberal eco-nuts and the force of law....we will be forced to upgrade eventually..
OK, lots of typos in that, my bad.
When did we vote to give EPA authority to ban anything?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is slowly doing away with air conditioners that spout hydrocarbons, which deplete the ozone layer.I've had the same air conditioner for over 15 yrs. If it's "spouting hydrocarbons", wouldn't I know it by now?
I wish my air conditioner spewed out hydrocarbons. Then maybe I could hook it up to my car.
What I really want is a small, portable air conditioner that runs entirely on propane, using a fuel cell.
Propane until late was not practical for fuel cells, but at least one company has come up with a way to use it for power generation.
The reason for this invention is because in any number of disaster scenarios, generating heat is much less a problem than generating cool, which is a major nuisance without electricity.
But cool and its associated dehumidification are extremely helpful in things like small field hospitals, military heat recovery areas for soldiers, and for any number of applications in the hot months.
One pound of propane will provide about 1600 Watt-hours of energy, which might give an average of three or hours of cooling. So the typical five pound can of propane would work continuously for most of the day. If the room it was cooling was insulated, perhaps the entire day.
Unfortunately, the HVAC guys are hand in glove in the Wacko/Stalin/Dhimmi/Bureaucrats. A good friend of Mine used to work for Fedders,( Executive) and he told me all about the lobbying to change the compounds to make everything obsolete so everybody(Gas manufacturers,HVAC units, installers, distributors etc...) makes gravy.
300 pounds per inch is the excrement weight of this story and rip-off.
At least they aren’t doing this to car owners again. Back in 2002, I had to dump my car when the AC failed, since it would cost more than the bluebook to retrofit the AC for the new refrigerant. (Yes, I’m a wuss and won’t drive in hot weather without AC.)
About 5 years ago the compressor in my AC unit burned out. I arranged to have a new compressor/condenser installed. The AC guy told me that if there was any freon left in the old one when he came back, he would have to charge me for removing it. Guess what, there wasn’t any. I guess it “spewed itself into the atmosphere” . . . LOL.
Don’t feel too bad. I live in Phoenix, and I think its safe to say, I simply wouldn’t survive without AC in my car.
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