Missouri is a beautiful place when the leaves begin to turn and the air cools. The smell of pumpkin spice is in the air at every coffee shop. Weekends are for football, corn mazes, and bonfires.
With the season changing, remember that it’s a perfect time to change your filters. It’s also time to schedule your fall system clean and check. Be sure to call our office so we can get you on the schedule before the first winter cold snap.
We still have warm days ahead of us and most likely you’ll be using your air conditioner. How old is your unit? New regulations will affect you if your unit uses Freon as the refrigerant.
Freon, also known as R-22, is the registered trademark of The Chemours Company. For years now, the EPA has been gradually phasing out R-22. According to studies, R-22 depletes the Earth’s ozone layer.
Recently, government officials had mandated the production of R-22 to stop as of January 1, 2020.
What does this mean to you?
Increased R-22 Cost
With production stopped, the cost of R-22 is likely to increase based on the lack of availability. Don’t be surprised at the rising prices as supply and demand go into effect.
We do our best to keep your costs affordable. But, if your older unit requires a charge of R-22, we’re at the mercy of our supplier’s prices.
New Unit Replacement Inevitable
Your planned replacement of your air conditioner may come sooner than you’d like.
If only you could simply switch and use the new stuff. Unfortunately, the refrigerants aren’t interchangeable. You’ll need to replace your unit or appliance with one that’s built to use the approved R-407c refrigerant.
Traditionally, air conditioner motors have been used as the primary air driving force. This is not always the most efficient choice because they run continuously at full power. It ends up costing you more money to run and components tend to wear out more quickly.
As of July, the government also mandated that all furnaces be equipped with Electronically Commutated Motors (ECMs). ECMs were developed to offer a greater range of choices and to reduce noise. Electronic controls are used to vary the motor speed. This will save you money as it’s more efficient and often requires very little maintenance.
While the upfront cost of replacing the old motors for an ECM will be around $340 to $500, the projected savings is up to “50% on your electricity consumption for your furnace fan.”
We strive to give you affordable and dependable heating, air conditioning, and plumbing service. We’re here to answer your questions and to help you through any transition of equipment you may need. Be sure to ask us about our Peace of Mind program to keep your equipment in tip-top shape.
