As the phase out date is closing in, most new air conditioning units traditionally using R-22 are getting replaced with a newer eco-friendly refrigerant. There are some existing systems still using R-22, but these will be substituted by R-410A refrigerants. This is because these are more environmentally friendly and also help in the conservation of energy.

After 31st December 2009, the production of R-22 will be stopped but some amount of R-22 will be produced only for maintenance of old appliances.

Why the R-22 phase out is necessary

The ozone layer helps to protect all living beings from damaging UV rays from the sun. Certain substances have been continuously damaging the ozone layer since their introduction, and R-22 refrigerant is one such gas. These refrigerants are mostly used in air conditioning units to cool air. If this refrigerant leaks into the atmosphere then it contributes to ozone depletion. Most of the countries across the world have decided to eliminate the use of R-22 completely.

R-22 refrigerant contains chlorine as part of its chemical makeup and chlorine is one of the substances causing global warming. The phase out is necessary purely on the grounds of environmental damage. Many manufacturers have stopped producing R-22 already. If you are planning to buy air conditioning units for your office or home then make sure they do not contain R-22.

Environmental issues and concerns have been increasing year after year. Our impact on the world around us has become a matter of real priority and has to be taken seriously. We all have to take some responsibility for the increase in environmental problems and therefore we must all contribute to finding a solution.

In the UK, an independent organisation called the Carbon Trust was developed in the year 2001. This organisation was established to help form a low carbon economy. The Carbon Trust aims to provide a guide to help managers, engineers and environmental managers to run a business effectively for low carbon projects.

The Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme is a part of the initiative of the Carbon Trust. Air conditioning units are very commonly found in homes and offices all over the country. Old units use a gas called R22 refrigerant, which is a very harmful HCFC that depletes the ozone layer of the earth causing global warming. The government has decided to phase out these gases. They have introduced R410A refrigerant as an alternative to R22 refrigerants.

Due to the phase out, many manufacturers are selling air conditioners that use R22 refrigerants at a cheaper price. In order to stop this, the Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme awards companies that buy energy efficient air conditioning solutions using R410A refrigerants through tax benefits. Contribute to solving a worldwide problem by avoiding R-22 refrigerant air conditioners.

The enhanced capital allowance scheme (ECA) put out by the UK government for air conditioning funding provides funds for air conditioning systems. The funding for these air conditioning units includes funds for design, servicing and manufacturing of air condition equipment. Both domestic air conditioning funding and commercial air conditioning funding are also available.

The ECA scheme is a part of the programme prepared by the UK government in 2001 to manage climate change. Its aim is to encourage businesses to invest in energy saving tools.

The greener air conditioning systems promoted by the ECA scheme are resourceful in terms of energy, cost efficiency and low environmental impact for aeroplanes, trains and buildings.

The ECA scheme offers incentives on tax to companies who invest in equipment that meets energy-saving criteria. The Energy Technology Criteria List (ETCL) lists the conditions for each type of technology and also lists those products in each type that meet those criteria.

This resource is managed by the Carbon Trust on behalf of the Government. It consists of two parts, as mentioned:

• Energy Technology Criteria List (ETCL)
• Energy Technology Product List (ETPL).

Enhanced capital allowance is not only given for the cost of the equipment being set up, but also for the costs related to the installation of such technology.

In the year 2006, the Oxford University Press named ‘carbon neutral’ as the term of the year. The following year UK businesses had a meeting conducted to discuss issues related to climate change and the various methods that could be put to action to reduce carbon footprints.

Adopting a few measures can help you reduce business CO2 usage or output:

• Turn off the electrical goods when not needed.
• Switch off computers, photocopiers, printers and chargers during the night.
• Turn of the light when business premises are not in use.

This adds up to significant economic and footprint savings during a whole financial year.

According to the UK Carbon Trust, the carbon footprint is the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product.

The Carbon Trust published a scheme to measure a product’s carbon emissions. This scheme, termed ‘cradle to grave’ specifies that a company must be able to measure the total carbon emissions from the sourcing of raw materials to dumping of any given product. As soon as this scheme of UK carbon trust comes into effect it will charge the carbon generated against extraction, production, transportation, distribution and disposal of the goods.

There are certain areas where a product’s carbon footprint can be considerably reduced and using air conditioning units that run on alternatives to R22 gases is one of them.

Air conditioning units from all over the world have been using R22 refrigerants for a considerable spell of time. Experts have found out that the emission of R22 refrigerants causes harm to the environment. It contributes significantly to the depletion of the ozone layer. This layer protects humans, animals and other living beings from the harmful ultra violet rays of the sun. As the ozone layer is depleting, the temperature on the earth is increasing significantly.

It is time we woke up and contributed to saving our planet. We have the freedom to choose between harmful and energy efficient air conditioning systems. When you decide on buying an air conditioner for your home or office, you should get environment friendly ones. Purchasing air conditioners that do not use R22 refrigerants is the best choice. Even if you are offered these harmful refrigerants at a reasonable price, avoid buying them.

Air conditioning manufacturers have started to make products using R410A refrigerant. These refrigerants are eco-friendly. They do not deplete the ozone layer as they include no HCFCs or CFCs. R410A refrigerants consist of HFC and are more reliable and useful when compared with R22 refrigerants.

Consumers should only buy eco-friendly air conditioners that consist of R410A refrigerant in order to slow down the harm that is being caused to the planet.

R22 refrigerant gas is used for climate control in commercial and business facilities. These gases are particularly used in air conditioning, ventilation and commercial heating. These units include hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs), which destroy the ozone layer of the atmosphere.

These R22 refrigerant gases are ozone depleting substances (ODS) and most of them have high global warming potential ratios. The potential ratios of global warming result in tracking, monitoring and reporting related to effects of global warming.

Tracking and managing R22 refrigerant gas is very important to ensure that no ozone depleting or greenhouse gases escape into the atmosphere and add to destructive climate change.

Seeing the connection between the R22 refrigerant gases and their damaging effect on the climate, many legislative bodies have come forward and increased detailed refrigerant reporting requirements.
Starting in 2010, there will be strict requirements on monitoring and tracking refrigerant gases. In most cases, units with air conditioning systems will be required to keep service records, history of all gas purchases and sales, and submit the refrigerant usage reports to regulators every year. Commercial units using R22 refrigerants in their processes must replace their systems by 2010.

From January 1st 2009, the production of R-22 for new air conditioning units will be completely banned. A modest amount of R-22 will be produced only for the maintenance of existing appliances. This phase out is taking place due to the effects of R-22 on the environment.

R-22 refrigerant is one of the major reasons for ozone layer depletion and also for global warming. These are the reasons why most of the countries all over the world have decided to stop using R-22. In response, they have been come up with some alternatives and R-410A is one of the most commonly used.

Some information related to the replacement of R-22

R-410A gases will be commonly used in the near future, as they are eco-friendly. R-410A is a binary mixture which contains HFC-32 and also HFC-125. This refrigerant exhibits azeotropic behaviour which has a temperature glide characteristic. The vapour pressure of R-410A is 60 percent higher than R-22. This means that R-410A cannot be used in the old equipment which was designed for R-22.

Although the thermodynamic cycle efficiency of R-410A is lower than R-22 and all the other alternatives, it has superior transport properties and also other benefits. These features make it suitable for most of the conventional systems.

Other alternatives such as ammonia and R-407C are also used in existing air conditioning units, but do not need to be replaced.

Any air conditioning unit will sooner or later need repairs. In order to cut down the repair costs of air conditioning units, it is important to carry out routine air conditioning maintenance. Air conditioning maintenance is quite simple as it involves a few basic things. While the maintenance can be done on your own, it is always recommended to go for professional services as they will ensure that your air conditioning unit works efficiently.

During summer and winter days, if your air conditioning or heating unit stops working, it can be quite difficult to live comfortably in your home. If your air conditioning unit stops functioning, you need to ensure that you quickly get swift and appropriate maintenance. Most units fail when they are required the most. This is mainly because users do not perform routine preventative maintenance.

If you fail to carry out routine maintenance activity, your air conditioning and heating unit may need repairs more often. So, as an owner, you must take necessary measures to make sure that your air conditioning unit functions well throughout the year.

When carrying out routine maintenance, it is also important to make sure that your air conditioning unit does not work on R-22 refrigerant. If it does use R-22 refrigerant you need to replace it with an environmentally friendly one. R410-A is an environmentally friendly refrigerant and so you can avoid the impact that other refrigerants cause on our environment.

Several problems pertaining to an air conditioning unit can be solved easily without any assistance. However, users tend to ignore such problems which later on hamper the functioning of the device. Almost all the technical errors can be solved via simple maintenance and cleaning. The following guidelines will help you to maintain the air conditioners efficiently.

Regular cleaning of air conditioning filters and the grille usually prevents the onset of any major technical problems with the device. Cleaning of filters can also enhance the shelf-life of the device. It also improves the functioning of the device and makes it more efficient at cooling. Many-a-times particle accumulation can choke the air conditioning ducts. This will obviously hamper the overall functioning of the device. However, simply cleaning with a cloth can also solve this problem.

Some of the other problems associated with the air conditioning device are as follows:

• Faulty cooling
• Collection of water pools below the device
• Rattling sounds, especially when the device is shutting down
• Problems with temperature control (thermostat)

Precautions to be followed

Switch off the main supply before attempting air conditioning repairs. Make sure that you carefully detach the grille. In addition, be careful that any wires do not come loose during the repairs.

People all over the world are looking towards one aim and that is to ‘Go Green’. In order to make the world a safer place, changes are being brought about in air conditioning systems. Currently, air conditioners use Freon, also known as R22 refrigerant. These refrigerants are very harmful to the environment. Hence, they are being replaced by R410a refrigerants.

R410a refrigerants are very environment friendly and hence, they have been chosen as a replacement of R22 refrigerant. The use of R22 refrigerant in air conditioning systems is very dangerous as they release HCFCs into the air. These gases can result in a lot of destruction to our planet. Global warming is a major problem that the entire world is facing today. The main cause of global warming is the depletion of the ozone layer that protects us from the tremendous heat of the sun.

The R22 refrigerants used in air conditioners can cause the ozone layer to deplete and hence the use of this refrigerant should be avoided. Hence, many countries of the world have come to the conclusion that these refrigerants have to be phased out. The use of R410a refrigerant will be made in air conditioners to reduce the problem of global warming.

With the implementation of this new R410a refrigerant, we will be able to control environmental problems to a great extent. If you want to contribute in making the world a better place, then you should buy air conditioners that are energy efficient and eco-friendly.