Things to Know About AC

As it heats up, many homeowners are stuck making the difficult choice between buying a new air conditioner, or 'getting by' with their existing equipment. Here is an article that may add some perspective to the argument. Source: "Air Conditioners Cut Out Ozone Depeleting Gas Under New Rules" From USA Today http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/2009-08-05-air-conditioner_N.htm This story highlights the use of R-22 (a common refrigerant) that is being phased out by next year. It looks at the costs of new installations and the differences between savings depending on SEER ratings. This article may make it easier to choose between installing a more efficient, more expensive unit now, or watching the prices of repairs go up later.

Older refrigerant will be harder to find

The phase-out of R-22 does not mean service and used parts will be unavailable for older air-conditioning models, Schneider says. The Montreal Protocol calls for a gradual elimination of all HCFC refrigerants in new equipment in developed countries by 2010. Service for older models could disappear by 2020.

The one drawback to purchasing a new ozone-conscious air conditioner is its price, which could stretch above the $10,000 mark. The cost all depends on how efficient homeowners decide to make their new system.

Air conditioners are graded on a scale known as SEER (seasonal energy efficiency rating). The more efficient a system is, the higher its rating and price tag.

SEER "is the best measure of energy savings for the homeowner throughout the year," Schneider says.

A 13 SEER system, the bare minimum efficiency now required of all new air conditioners, using R-410A costs $5,000 to $8,000 depending on the region and the specifics of the installation, Schneider says. Ramping it up to 16 SEER would cost $8,000 to $11,000. An R-410A unit would cost about 5% more than a new one using R-22, but the service costs with R-22 could be higher.

Rebates offered for high-efficiency units

To ease the pain of the initial cost, air-conditioner manufacturers and even utility companies offer rebates as a reward for purchasing a "green" piece of equipment. Also, if homeowners decide to ratchet up the efficiency to 16 SEER, they are eligible for $1,500 in stimulus bill tax credits from the government, Schneider says.

"It made the most sense to go a little bit more efficient," says Jan Bohrer of Fairfax, Va., who recently had a new R-410A air-conditioning system with a 17 SEER rating installed into her house. She also says that her whole house feels cooler when her thermostat is set at a higher temperature and that she is able to control humidity far more effectively, which translates to comfort. The new system is also much quieter, she says.

"My old system sounded like aircraft carriers taking off when it was on," Bohrer says.

Because these new air conditioners operate with much higher pressure, they consume less energy.

Schneider says the average annual energy consumption cost of a 13 SEER machine is $665, which would save about $200 (or 23%) vs. the average energy cost of a typical existing unit. There is no difference between R-22 and R-410A energy costs when both are used in a 13 SEER system, because they are equally efficient, Schneider says.

HFCs have received scrutiny from some participants of the Kyoto Protocol, an international environmental treaty dedicated to combating global warming, based on concern that molecules of R-410A in its gaseous state trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere more than carbon dioxide. HFCs also have been criticized by Allan Thornton, president of the Environmental Investigation Agency, who says certain HFCs will be a major global warming threat in the future.

R22 v. 410A

The Refrigerant in your central air conditioning unit is usually R-22 or Puron (410A). Due to the Montreal Protocol, R-22 is in the process of being phased out. Puron, is considerably more environmentally friendly, and air conditioning and other energy companies are coming up with more environmentally friendly ways to cool our cities every year. The EPA, has a lot of resources on their webpage and even animations to help explain what the problem is. One of the reasons we are switching to Puron is to help decrease the size of the holes in the Ozone. The Epa's animation below shows the probable improvements.

Perhaps We Don’t Know Everything There is to Know About Refrigerant

source: http://sustainabledesignupdate.com/?p=22 I have said it in this blog and on the webpage like 20+ times, there are two main types of refrigerant used in air conditioners and cooling systems. The older one is R-22 and is going to be phased out soon. The other 410A or Puron is more environmentally sound. In Europe and some other parts of the world, they are using R718 or simple water vapor. The idea is to use water, and pressurize it, using it to cool instead of refrigerant. There are many advantages – the lack of pollution, relative low cost, but there are also some disadvantages – one being technology isn’t quite prepared to produces these units in a cost-effective way. However, all in all, great idea and worth looking into. Maybe in the future, you’ll be able to “top-off” your own refrigerant. Until then, it’s a very good idea to get your unit checked each year or so (depending). For more information: http://st-div.web.cern.ch/st-div/wor...ogy/JacekK.pdf http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/636/70/

What is Puron?

There are two main types of refrigerant used in air conditioners. One of them is R-22, which uses a chlorinated based cooling agent and is harmful to the environment. The other is Puron or 410A. Puron is better for the environment. Surfing the Carrier webpage today I found a really good tutorial that explains the difference between the two, reasons and other things one might need to know about refrigerant in a really user-friendly setting. Check it out...

New Technology in Refrigerant

This video attempts to explain how an air conditioner works using a visual. So, a basic air conditioner uses a “cooling agent” to circulate through the house as “gas” and carry the warm ‘air’ to the outside where it is cooled down and then released back into the house. This cooling agent is usually referred to as the air conditioner’s refrigerant. There are two main types of refrigerant used in air conditioning units currently. Depending on your unit, as well as the refrigerant that your unit is using, the cooling efficiency might be different. What is the difference between refrigerants anyways? There are two main types of refrigerant (the cooling agent in air conditioners) being used on the market today. One of them is R-22. According to http://www.answers.com/topic/refrigerant?cat=technology, Answers.com – R-22 is used mostly in small commercial and residential air conditioning units (with some freezers and refrigerators included). This is an ozone depleting agent, but is going to be sold until 2010. At which time, the alternate to R-22, Puron (also called R-134a) will be used. According to answers.com (utilized for its ease in explaining a complex process),

“R-134a and certain blends are now replacing chlorinated compounds [like R-22]. One popular 50/50 blend of R-32 and R-125 now being increasingly substituted for R-22 is R410a, often marketed under the trade name Puron®.”

While Puron® is much safer for the environment; it needs to operate at a much higher pressure. Therefore, when R-22 stops being produced, homeowners with R-22 capable units would need to upgrade their units to ones operating on Puron®. However, this may not be the final verdict. A new type of refrigerant was sponsored by a grant through the Department of Energy and the Environmental Technology and Engineering Center. This new refrigerant called Ikon® B would solve the environmental concerns of ozone depletion, while still operating at an efficient energy and at pressures concurrent with R-22. This would save homeowners the headache of replacing fairly new air conditioning units because of a lack of refrigerant to run them. This study compared Ikon ® B with R-22 using an air conditioner to cool a 90 degree test and a 100 degree (F) ambient temperature test. Then the cooling capacity and energy efficiency was compared between the two refrigerants. This is what they found…

What are the stats on Ikon® B? At 90 degrees, the Ikon ® B refrigerant had

“15% higher quantity of cooling obtained per amount of energy used, and at 100°F about 22% higher quantity of cooling obtained per amount of energy used, versus R-22.”

Even though the Ikon B had more cooling quality, the unit did need to be run for longer. According to the research,

“In residential and small commercial air conditioning, this simply means that the air conditioner will run about 20% longer with Ikon ® B to provide the same amount of cooling it would have with R-22. The energy savings of Ikon ® B will be obtained even though the air conditioner runs longer, because COP is amount of cooling obtained per amount of energy used, independent of the run time.”

The tests did show that Ikon B will work with units that have previously run R-22 refrigerants and also provide even more energy savings. According to the tests (simulating an outside temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit and also 100 degrees), the Ikon B actually did better when outside temperatures were higher. The two main sources for today’s blog come from PDF’s from these links. These explain the project, research methods and findings of the team studying Ikon B in 2003 for the Department of Energy. http://www.osti.gov/bridge/servlets/purl/875416-mcgEfB/875416.PDF http://www1.eere.energy.gov/inventions/pdfs/12067_nimitz_incdbaetec.pdf New Technology continues to make life easier, and air conditioning innovations have come a long way as well. Soon units will be even more efficient and environmentally friendly while being more effective at providing escape from the summer heat! Please keep checking back for updates!