If you're considering buying a new air conditioner and it doesn't have PURON refrigerant, then you're buying a soon-to-be obsolete air conditioner!

Puron is a brand name for the refrigerant R-410A, which was developed by Allied Signal, as an environmentally sound alternative to the ozone depleting refrigerant most widely used in residential comfort systems today, R-22.

Ten years ago, the wheels were set in motion to begin phasing out ozone-depleting refrigerants such as R-12 and R-22, creating the need for an environmentally sound refrigerant. Today, Puron offers high efficiency and long term cost savings to homeowners. It is truly revolutionary in every sense of the word, and its creation is essential to the future of the heating and cooling industry. 



Phaseout Schedule for HCFCs Including R-22

Under the terms of the Montreal Protocol, the U.S. agreed to meet certain obligations by specific dates that will affect the residential heat pump and air-conditioning industry:

January 1, 2004:

In accordance with the terms of the Montreal Protocol, the amount of all HCFCs that can be produced nationwide must be reduced by 35% by 2004. In order to achieve this goal, the U.S. is ceasing production of HCFC-141b, the most ozone-damaging of this class of chemicals, on January 1, 2003. This production ban will greatly reduce nationwide use of HCFCs as a group, making it likely that the 2004 deadline will have a minimal effect on R-22 supplies.

January 1, 2010:

After 2010, chemical manufacturers may still produce R-22 to service existing equipment, but not for use in new equipment. As a result, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system manufacturers will only be able to use pre-existing supplies of R-22 to produce new air conditioners and heat pumps. These existing supplies would include R-22 recovered from existing equipment and recycled.

January 1, 2020:

Use of existing refrigerant, including refrigerant that has been recovered and recycled, will be allowed beyond 2020 to service existing systems, but chemical manufacturers will no longer be able to produce R-22 to service existing air conditioners and heat pumps.

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