Need to Know: Servicing Your Air Conditioner
HCFCs and the Ozone Layer
The stratospheric ozone layer shields the Earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. Emissions of certain synthetic chemicals – including CFCs, halons, and HCFCs – destroy the ozone layer, and have created an “ozone hole” over the South Pole.
Through the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the United States committed to a collaborative, international effort to regulate and phase out ozone-depleting substances. While the US phased out of CFCs and halons in the mid 90’s, we now must first limit HCFC consumption to a specific level and then reduce it in a step-wise fashion.
Phaseout of R-22 and R142b
HCFC-22 (also called R-22) and HCFC-142b are the next two HCFCs that the United States will phase out. The schedule to phase out HCFCs is:
- January 1, 2010
Ban on production and import of HCFC-22 and HCFC-142b except for continuing servicing needs of existing equipment - January 1, 2015
Ban on sale and use of all HCFCs except for certain uses, including continuing servicing needs of refrigeration equipment - January 1, 2020
Ban on remaining production and import of HCFC-22 and HCFC-142b
After 2020, the servicing of systems with R-22 will rely on recycled or stockpiled quantities.
