You need to replace ageing R22 air conditioning! REPLACE AGEING AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS THAT RUN ON R22 NOW!!
Air conditioning over 10 years old could use R22 refrigerant, an ozone-depleting CFC which is now banned in new systems across the EU. By law R22 systems will become unserviceable at the end of 2014, this means they will be illegal to repair in the event of any failure.
Most manufacturers will no longer support such aged systems and spare parts are already unobtainable and in short supply, making it uneconomical to repair equipment.
Modern replacement systems use environmentally responsible refrigerants and are up to 60% more energy efficient than R22 systems. Replacement systems pay back their replacement costs in energy savings alone within 3 or 4 years.
What are your options?
Essentially there are 4 options :-
- Hope for the best and do nothing at all!
- Continue to use the equipment and use recycled R22 if the system needs refilling with additional refrigerant, as R22 gets more scarce this will become more difficult to source, and in January 2015 this will no longer will be an option as by law the recycled R22 will no longer be used
- Replace the R22 refrigerant for one of the replacement alternatives available
- Replace the old installation with a new one using R410a or other non-ozone-depleting refrigerant
At first sight, in these tough economic times, doing nothing may seem to be the most attractive. If the equipment is working properly, there is no urgent need to replace an existing installation. However the risk is, at some stage, the equipment will require maintenance and at that point a decision will have to be taken between one of the other options.
With a failed system to repair urgently, there will be little opportunity for a proper assessment or to build the subsequent cost implications into your budget.
The second potential solution, the use of recycled R22, is a short term compromise, as time progresses there will be less available R22 being returned for recycling and recycled R22 is expensive. There are also environmental concerns that R22 is an ozone-depleting CFC, a policy of relying on recycled R22 is not recommended. In January 2015 this will no longer will be an option as by law the recycled R22 will no longer be used.
The third potential option is to replace the R22 in your air conditioning system with one of a number of alternative ‘ozone-friendly’ alternatives such as R410a, R404A, R407c, R417A or even Propane & Carbon Dioxide.
Unfortunately none of these alternatives offers a true like for like alternative.
The final option is the replacement of old R22-based air conditioning equipment with a new ozone-friendly system. At first sight, this seems to be the most expensive solution, but there are a numerous factors which make this alternative the best option.
The first reason is that as any R22-based air conditioning system is at least 10 years old and will be driven by obsolete fixed-speed compressor technology.
Replacing with a modern, digital inverter-controlled system will bring significant immediate energy savings of over 50%.
A typical 5kW wall-mounted or ceiling cassette unit can save over £500 per year in electricity (a 67% reduction) and reduce the annual production of CO2, the greenhouse gas associated with global warming, by over 1.3 tonnes – improvements which begin immediately and continue throughout the life of the new equipment.
These savings alone mean that a new air conditioning system is likely to pay back its original installation cost within four years in energy savings alone. A new system will operate even more efficiently because it is likely to be working less hard and for fewer hours per day to provide the desired level of cooling.
The cost and time spent replacing out-dated R22 air conditioning equipment can be reduced in some cases by the use of Replacement Technology, retaining existing pipe work and electrical supplies. Assuming the pipe work is replaced or found to be in good condition, a new installation will offer improved resistance to refrigerant leaks, ensuring owners can more easily satisfy their obligations under the European Fluorinated Gases (FGas) Regulations. These regulations require annual inspections to be carried out by qualified personnel, ensuring refrigerant systems are free of leaks and in full working order.
A new system is also far less likely to suffer a breakdown and the associated costs of downtime and repairs, and will commonly come with the added benefit of a manufacturer-backed 3 or 5-year warranty. A little-known further benefit is that, as almost all modern air conditioning systems incorporate heat pump technology as standard, the same system that provides comfort cooling in the summer can provide clean, highly energy-efficient heating in the winter.
The Government’s commitments contained in the 1997 Kyoto Protocol came into force in February 2005. The aim of radically reducing the UK’s CO2 emissions has led to the introduction of the Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme. This Government scheme allows any company replacing an existing air conditioning system with a more energy-efficient installation, to offset the entire cost of the project against its taxable profits in the year the new system is installed. It should also be remembered that a more energy-efficient system will enable building owners to achieve improved energy ratings under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
If you are a building owner or occupiers concerned about meeting your responsibilities, contact Aylesbury Climate Control on 01296 487438.