Checked Your Refrigerant Lately? Now is the Time

You may not know it, but refrigerant is a chemical compound that keeps your properties cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It’s found in HVAC systems, heat pumps, and other components essential to daily property maintenance.

You might also not know that it is time to have the refrigerants running all your assets checked out to ensure they don’t cause harm to your property and, more importantly, the environment.

Specifically, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruled in 2022 that the R-410A refrigerant must be phased out in the coming years due to the increased risk of harmful leaks from operating at high pressures. R-410A is comprised of two hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) compounds and was originally introduced to replace R-22, also known as freon, starting in 2009.

The US and the European Union prohibited using R-22 the next year because mounting evidence showed that refrigerants were among the man-made chemicals linked to thinning the ozone layer – the barrier protecting the earth’s surface from dangerous solar rays.

Over the next decade, R-22 production slowed to a halt as the EPA mandated that all HVAC units manufactured after 2010 could not rely on the compound to operate.

R-410A is currently the most popular refrigerant in the US, but according to the EPA, its Global Warming Potential (GWP) is 2,088 times that of carbon dioxide. Production of the compound ends this year.

What you can do next

The EPA mandates that all units phase out R-410A over the next decade and replace them with more eco-friendly substitutes like R-454B or R-32, both classified as having a far lower GWP.

Lessen can help

Lessen offers a turnkey service that inspects all the HVAC units on your properties and can order, install, and test new units. You’ll not only save valuable time, but you’ll also know the job is being done right by vetted professionals with decades of experience ensuring properties like yours are compliant.

Your service doesn’t have to end there. Lessen takes it a step further by indexing all your assets, tagging them, and tracking expenses throughout their lifecycle. When it’s time for a replacement, you’ll have valuable insights to help you decide whether to repair or replace.

Trust Lessen to ensure the safety and efficiency of your HVAC system. Contact us today to learn more.