Central AC issues and questions

[Retired Expat]

Clean the outside coils with a garden hose and make sure the airflow there is not blocked. Check and replace your filters, then if not improved call a tech to recharge the system (Getting more and more expensive as your gas is not made anymore) and hope you can limp along to the fall for a replacement. Maybe make a deal for a new one now as part of the service. Consider split heat pumps if there are parts of the house not being used much.

We went from central to 5 splits (some simple on off and others high tech inverter). Saving money every month on utility costs as guest rooms barely need anything and first floor heat is naturally heating the upstairs so those units hardly run too.

 

[ncbill]

The guy that installed my central air 23 years ago is coming here tomorrow to discuss a new unit. The problem is 7:30 AM is when he can come! I'm barely moving at 8 or 9 despite getting up at 6, I am going to have to get up about 5 am to pull this off. I can't ask for a better time cuz I didn't think he'd be here until at least the end of the week so I have to be flexible.

The bad news is when talking on the phone today, his wife told me there's no way they could install it until at least the week of 8/8 and depending upon availability and it might be 4 weeks to get a unit. At that point it'd be the last week in August, the probability of 90+ degree days after Labor Day drops dramatically so maybe it is just better to pay for the service call and R-22 and then address this in April next year. AC functioned good today but cloudy and not that hot. This has become a soap opera!

Especially since the refrigerant used now (R-410A) won't be used in residential systems starting January 1, 2023...so if you buy now you're stuck with an obsolete refrigerant just like R-22.

 

[sengsational]

Especially since the refrigerant used now (R-410A) won't be used in residential systems starting January 1, 2023...so if you buy now you're stuck with an obsolete refrigerant just like R-22.

So are the next generation units being produced and sold? What was wrong with R-410A? I was thinking about studying and taking the test so I could legally squirt my own refrigerant. I've got two systems, one recent R-410A, and one old R-22. Maybe I'll buy an R-410A system to replace the R-22 system, and also buy a tank of R-410A so I won't be at the mercy of supply and demand.

So they put restrictions on production of R-22. Are there proposed restrictions on production of R-410A?

 

[ncbill]

So are the next generation units being produced and sold? What was wrong with R-410A? I was thinking about studying and taking the test so I could legally squirt my own refrigerant. I've got two systems, one recent R-410A, and one old R-22. Maybe I'll buy an R-410A system to replace the R-22 system, and also buy a tank of R-410A so I won't be at the mercy of supply and demand.

So they put restrictions on production of R-22. Are there proposed restrictions on production of R-410A?

Primarily too high a GWP (global warming potential) number:

https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/documents/high-gwp-refrigerants

https://us-ac.com/usac-news/r410a-phasedown/

And it's going to get pricey just like R-22 did:

https://gopaschal.com/refrigerant-prices-shortage/

https://www.griffithenergyservices....e-r410-phaseout-new-2023-efficiency-standards