I was at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee last weekend and while I had a blast, I really missed the air conditioner. It was so hot that some people were abandoning their tents to sleep in their air-conditioned cars. Since the AC was on my mind when I got back to work last week, I was surprised to see a request from the Environmental Protection Agency asking Gov Gab to clear up some confusion about the agency's new air conditioner manufacturing regulations. It seems that many people think they have to replace their air conditioners now, but that's not the case.
This year the EPA banned the use of the R-22 refrigerant in the manufacturing of air conditioners. Because R-22 depletes the Earth’s ozone layer, EPA is gradually
reducing amounts of that chemical that can be produced. But to preserve the useful life of R-22 equipment people have already
purchased, EPA allows R-22 to be used to service existing air conditioners.
If you have an air conditioner that uses R-22 you don't have to replace it now and you can get it repaired if it has problems. The EPA does recommend that if you need major repairs you think about replacing it with an ENERGY STAR air conditioner or use an alternative coolant that doesn't harm the ozone layer. As the EPA phases out the R-22 chemical over the next decade, the price will go up, and by 2020 there will be very little R-22 left.
What do you think of the new EPA R-22 regulation?"
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