What is R22 gas?
R22 is the more commonly used name for Chlorodifluoromethane. This gas is being phased out in most countries due to its ozone depletion potential.
How can I tell if my air conditioning system is using R22 gas?
Primarily the outdoor unit for your air conditioning system should have an identification plate on it from the original manufacturer. This plate contains valuable information about the make and model of your equipment. It should also tell you which refrigerant gases your system is using.
My system is using R22, what implications does that have for me?
As of 31st December 2014, it has been illegal to top up or replenish an air conditioning system using R22 gas. Since this legislation was passed, manufacturers have stopped producing parts for these older systems and because of that, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to maintain older systems.
If your system is running fine now, you should really give some consideration as to how you will put a plan in place to phase out that old equipment. If a major part fails in your system, for the reasons discussed above, it will be really difficult to find parts to fix your failing system. Why wait until it’s too late?
Are there any benefits to changing to another gas system?
Yes. As well as being more energy efficient, R32 or R410a is a cost effective replacement for R22 and as a single component refrigerant, they’re easier to reuse and recycle.
What can we do to phase out our R22 system?
Fluid Air Conditioning can design, install and provide ongoing maintenance of a more modern system with R410a gases which satisfy current legislation. An experienced engineer will visit your site and complete a thorough survey. It could be as simple as replacing the outdoor and indoor units salvaging your existing pipework and cabling.
Is there any help available to fund the new system?
Yes. MELFinance Solutions from Mitsubishi Electrical can help end users fund the cost of new equipment and its installation via hire-purchase finance. Put simply, this means that (subject to financial status), you can repay the combination of ‘fixed asset’ and maintenance costs over an agreed period of between 1 to 5 years. For qualifying companies, it is a flexible alternative to a traditional bank loan that provides significant cash flow and tax benefits (click the link above for more details).
Fluid Air Conditioning then back up our installation with a 7 year warranty should you have the maintance completed by our engineers.
For more information, you can contact us via our website or call our sales team on 01623 722066.