Puron Freon
410A - Keeping You Cool and Protecting the Environment!
Most air-conditioners and heat pumps sold around the world use a refrigerant called R-22. Emissions of R-22 are considered by some experts to be a significant factor in depleting the ozone layer that protects animals and people from harmful rays from the sun.
Families now have the choice to ask for an air-conditioner or heat pump that uses a more efficient and environmentally friendlier refrigerant called 410A or R-410A when buying a new system for their home.
Replacing Your Old Air Conditioner or Building a New Home?
You should select a new system that doesn't use ozone-depleting refrigerants.
Why? Because by selecting R-410A you eliminate the possibility that refrigerant leaking from your system might contribute to the hole in the ozone layer, and you'll also be investing in a comfort system that will last you for many years to come.
1.1 What Makes R-410A a Better Refrigerant?
Learn about the environmental, cost and reliability benefits R-410A offers home owners...
2.1 The AZ-20® Story
In response to the need to replace ozone-depleting chemicals, Honeywell embarked on a research program to develop environmentally friendlier refrigerants...
1.1 What Makes R-410A a Better Refrigerant?
What Makes R-410A a Better Refrigerant?
It's Environmentally Friendlier
If your system ever leaks, the escaping refrigerant won't contribute to ozone depletion!
You Avoid the Risk that R-22 could Become Expensive or Difficult to Get When your System Needs to be Repaired in a Few Years
The old refrigerant R-22 will be phased out along with other ozone depleting chemicals, and
both supply and demand of this chemical will be significantly affected by current and upcoming regulations. By selecting an air conditioner or heat pump that uses R-410A, you will avoid the risk associated with purchasing a product that is destined to become obsolete.
R-410A Systems Can be More Reliable than R-22 Systems
R-410A air conditioners and heat pumps are today's "state of the art" systems, and utilize the most current technology available for efficient and reliable operation. The heart of every air conditioner or heat pump is the compressor, and newer systems are specifically designed to use R-410A refrigerant. They often incorporate smaller, heavier-duty "scroll-type" compressors that are quieter and operate with less damaging vibration than older compressors that operate on R-22. Since R-410A can absorb and release heat more efficiently than R-22 ever could, compressors with R-410A run cooler than R-22 systems, reducing the risk of burnout due to overheating.
It Uses a Synthetic Lubricant that Helps to Keep the System Operating Smoothly
All air-conditioning systems use an oil that circulates through the inside of the system to keep all of the parts well lubricated, just like the engine of your car. R-22 air conditioners use an oil known as "mineral oil" that has been used for decades. R-410A air conditioners use newer synthetic lubricants that are usually more soluble with the R-410A than the old mineral oils are with the older R-22 refrigerants. This means the synthetic lubricants and R-410A can mix and circulate more efficiently to keep the compressor and other moving parts lubricated, reducing wear and extending their life. Also, just as many new cars use synthetic oils because they are less likely to break down under high stress and heat, the new synthetic oils used in R-410A air conditioners are less likely to break down under extreme conditions.
2.1 The AZ-20® (R-410A) Story
The AZ-20® (R-410A) Story
In response to the need to replace ozone-depleting chemicals, Honeywell embarked on a research program to develop environmentally friendlier refrigerants in the late 1980's. In 1991 Honeywell (then known as AlliedSignal) announced its solution, a remarkably efficient refrigerant which we called AZ-20® refrigerant, and which was later assigned the generic name R-410A. After years of effort, and a cooperative development program with the air conditioner manufacturer Carrier Corporation, the first air conditioners using R-410A were launched in 1995 under the name PURON®. In 1996, both companies were presented the Award for Stratospheric
Ozone Protection by the EPA. Over time, additional manufacturers have developed their own products using R-410A.
This refrigerant is composed of two chemicals which are blended in the right proportion and act nearly as one within an air conditioning system. This is important because when a technician charges your air conditioning system with refrigerant, he or she needs to be sure that the first drop that goes in is the same as the last drop. Many other possible R-22 replacement refrigerants were invented, but had to be ruled out for this very reason.
R-410A offers some wonderful advantages, but it required the manufacturers of air conditioners to redesign their products to take advantage of the properties of the refrigerant. The reason why a refrigerant works is because it captures the heat from one place, and then releases the heat somewhere else. R-410A captures heat and then releases it better than R-22 did, so manufacturers have found that they need less refrigerant in an R-410A air conditioner than they needed in an R-22 air conditioner. Because there's less refrigerant, they need less copper tubing, and often can use a smaller compressor. The bad news was that R-410A couldn't be used in air conditioners that were made to use R-22, but the advantages for new air conditioners were too great to pass up. Honeywell works closely with manufacturers today to continue to optimize air conditioning systems to make them less expensive, more efficient, and more reliable.
At Honeywell, we're proud of our employees who worked so hard to find a solution to this problem. Believe it or not, your local supermarket or convenience store likely also uses the ozone depleting refrigerant R-22 to keep your food cold on their shelves. Of course, R-22 can only affect the environment if the refrigerant leaks out of the refrigeration system and most supermarkets work very hard to make sure that doesn't happen. Even so, Honeywell also introduced a non-ozone depleting refrigerant called AZ-50® refrigerant that many supermarkets are now using instead of R-22. Because AZ-50® refrigerant is as much as 6% more energy efficient that R-22, this product not only helps to protect the environment, but it saves supermarkets on their electricity costs. Now that's a winning solution for everybody!
Theory of Ozone Depletion
What is Ozone?
Ozone is a type of molecule that is made of 3 connected oxygen atoms, which is written in scientific terms as O3. It is mostly found in the stratosphere, and absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation that would otherwise find it's way down to us and cause a variety of problems for humans, animals, and plants. Stratospheric ozone is different from ground-level ozone, which contributes to smog in our cities.
How could CFCs and HCFCs Affect the Ozone Layer?
Ozone is constantly being made in our atmosphere, mostly by collisions of oxygen molecules (O2) and oxygen atoms (O). Ozone is also constantly being destroyed by similar collisions between O3 molecules and O atoms, resulting in pairs of O2 molecules. In theory then, there is a balance between creation and destruction that results in a constant layer of ozone.
The full names for CFCs and HCFCs are Chlorofluorocarbons and Hydrochlorofluorocarbons. CFC molecules are made of chlorine, fluorine, and carbon, and HCFC molecules also have hydrogen atoms attached. The widely accepted theory of ozone depletion is that these molecules, once emitted to the atmosphere, eventually are broken down over long periods of time into their individual atoms. The chlorine atoms then react with the ozone and cause ozone destruction to happen faster than ozone creation.
Why is Ozone Depletion Considered Bad?
Because stratospheric ozone protects us from harmful ultraviolet rays, ozone depletion means people, animals and plants are all affected by these rays when the ozone layer fails to stop them. This may include:
Increases in skin cancers
Increases in cataracts of the eyes which can result in loss of sight
Reduction in the yields of important food crops, according to some scientists
Why can't R-410A Affect the Ozone Layer?
R-410A is not a CFC or an HCFC. It is called an HFC, or hydrofluorocarbon, and is made of hydrogen, fluorine, and carbon atoms. Because it has no chlorine, it won't interact with the ozone layer once it breaks down.
Phase-Out of Ozone Depleting and Chemicals
The United States signed the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, which is an international agreement to reduce and eventually ban the production of most ozone depleting chemicals. In order to implement this agreement in the U.S., Congress passed the Clean Air Act of 1990. This directed the EPA to implement regulations to phase out CFCs and HCFCs.
The production of CFCs for air conditioning and refrigeration in the United States was banned in 1995. CFCs are much more harmful to the environment than HCFCs, but HCFCs are next in line for elimination. The chart above shows how much and when the United States must reduce use of ozone depleting HCFCs such as R-22.
The impact on the ozone layer for every HCFC chemical such as R-22 has been estimated and compared to that of CFC-11. This impact is called its "Ozone Depletion Potential" or "ODP". For R-22, this number is 0.055 because it is 5-1/2% as ozone depleting as R-11 over a 100 year period. There are many other ozone-depleting HCFCs, such as "141b" which is used for insulating refrigerators and houses. Production of HCFC-141b in the U.S. has already been banned and other HCFCs are scheduled to be phased out.
Demo Air Conditioner new window
Myths About R-410A
There have been a number of myths and misconceptions about R-410A refrigerant and air conditioners that use it that we have heard over the years. Some of these are completely untrue, and some are simply exaggerated.
1.
The higher pressures of R-410A are unsafe
Actually, air-conditioners that use R-410A are specially designed for the higher pressures of R-410A. These systems have typically been rigorously tested by their manufacturers, as well as by independent safety testing laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratories.
Many dealers of air-conditioning equipment are not educated on the benefits of this new refrigerant, and some use the "high pressure" argument to convince consumers not to buy a product which the dealer isn't properly trained to install or service anyway.
With over a million R-410A based air conditioners operating worldwide, and nearly a decade of field testing and product history, there is no evidence to suggest that R-22 systems are any safer than systems that contain R-410A.
2. The higher pressures of R-410A cause air conditioners to break down more often
Evidence shows this is not only untrue, but that R-410A air conditioners can be remarkably more reliable than air-conditioners that use R-22.
First, air-conditioners that use R-410A are designed to be heavier-duty, with a thicker compressor shell. Usually this results in smaller, sturdier pieces of equipment that vibrate less, putting less strain on the piping connections that are the source of most leaks.
Second, most air-conditioner manufacturers require their technicians to be fully trained on R-410A before they can sell or service that manufacturer's R-410A equipment. As a result, the dealers and technicians that offer and install R-410A are often better trained and have the right tools to give you a more reliable installation.
One major air conditioner manufacturer who has been selling air conditioners for over 50 years tells us that their R-410A air conditioners and heat pumps are the most reliable systems they've ever introduced!
3. R-22 will be cheap and available through 2020
This is wishful thinking on the part of many service technicians. R-22 is being phased out globally, and the manufacturing plants that make R-22 in Europe, North America and other regions will eventually be shut down or converted to make other chemicals. Just this past year, the 3rd largest R-22 manufacturer in the U.S. closed its facility.
In 2003 the U.S. EPA implemented an allocation program which limits both the companies who can make and import R-22, and the amounts that they each can make or import. This essentially"capped" the supply of R-22 in the U.S.
In order to meet the reduction in use of ozone-depleting chemicals that Congress laid out in the Clean Air Act of 1990, the U.S. EPA expects to pass further laws before 2010 to reduce allocations of R-22 and other ozone-depleting chemicals.
By 2015, the cap on R-22 and other ozone-depleting HCFC refrigerants will be reduced to allow a maximum of about 60 million pounds of virgin (new) R-22 to be produced in or imported into the U.S. Currently, the U.S. uses over 160 million pounds each year!
Forecasting the effects of these regulations isn't easy, but it sure doesn't look good for R-22!
4. R-410A isn't the final refrigerant, and other new refrigerants are coming
Every major air conditioner manufacturer in the United States has selected R-410A as its choice to replace R-22 in new equipment, and there are at least a dozen brands of R-410A air conditioners or heat pumps available today, with more coming soon.
Why? In less than 3 years the U.S. Department of Energy will require a 20% increase in the minimum efficiency of new home central air conditioners. This means that air conditioner manufacturers will have to find ways to increase the efficiency of their air conditioners. One easy way is to use a more efficient refrigerant, and because the refrigerant 410A is at least 5% more efficient than R-22, manufacturers can use R-410A to help them meet these energy efficiency goals.
In other countries like Japan where the phase-out of R-22 is further along than in the U.S. and Canada, the refrigerant R-410A is used extensively. The United States is expected to follow their lead, allowing R-410A to become the global standard. Honeywell is the world leader in developing and manufacturing non-ozone depleting refrigerants, and we've never seen anything like R-410A, and neither have our customers!
5. R-410A costs too much
It's true that non-ozone depleting refrigerants are more expensive to manufacture. They use more expensive raw materials, are more difficult to make, and aren't yet produced in the large quantities in which R-22 is produced. Over the long-term though, manufacturing costs are likely to decline as R-410A becomes more popular and is produced on a larger scale.
Also, in order to properly install and service air conditioners containing R-410A, your air-conditioner equipment dealer had to invest in new tools and new training, and part of this cost is passed along to you in your price for a new R-410A system.
There are usually costs associated with new technology as well as with protecting our environment. Air-conditioners that contain R-410A refrigerant are likely to be slightly more expensive than air conditioners charged with R-22 for at least the next few years.
Because of design differences between manufacturers, the cost to upgrade from an R-22 system to R-410A can vary. There are at least 12 different brands of R-410A air conditioners and heat pumps available in the U.S. and Canada today, so you have many choices as a consumer. We recommend you research both the equipment brand and the dealer you select to make sure that your choice is appropriate for the quality of equipment and installation you want. Remember, you do get what you pay for!!
6. R-410A technology is too new and risky
Air conditioners using R-410A have been available in the U.S. since 1995, so they're not at all new. They're just new to people who haven't heard about them!
Honeywell invented the refrigerant 410A over a decade ago, and it's taken several years for some air conditioner dealers to learn about these products and for some air conditioner manufacturers to design and offer their own R-410A systems. Most manufacturers have had their R-410A air conditioners and heat pumps on the market for several years.
Some contractors and AC dealers are rightfully concerned about selling consumers on a refrigerant that might be discontinued. But this fear just doesn't apply to R-410A systems anymore. Every major manufacturer in the U.S. and Canada now offers a R-410A brand, and because of the terrific track record of the reliability of R-410A air conditioners, it has quickly become the new industry standard.
7. R-410A is new and may not be available to service your new air conditioner if it breaks down
We've heard this line several times.
As the inventor of R-410A, Honeywell is committed to having ample supplies of this refrigerant available, and started up a new $100 million manufacturing plant to make sure that there is plenty of R-410A available.
There are at least 2 other refrigerant companies in the U.S. besides Honeywell who offer their own brands of R-410A, providing both ample supply and competitive pricing to air conditioning manufacturers and to service technicians.
8. The lubricating oil used in R-410A systems absorbs water and makes systems break down
Many air-conditioning contractors who haven't learned about R-410A often hear this myth and repeat it to others.
Air conditioners and heat pumps that use R-22 use a mineral oil that circulates through the system to keep the compressor and other parts lubricated. Systems containing R-410A usually use a synthetic oil . Some of these synthetic oils do absorb moisture more readily than mineral oils, but there are several reasons why this is not an issue for home owners.
First, equipment manufacturers train their technicians to keep these oils from getting exposed to the air where they could absorb moisture. As long as technicians follow the manufacturers' directions in installing and servicing R-410A systems, then the oil will remain clean and dry. These procedures may also be required to make sure your warranty stays valid during the life of your R-410A system.
Second, nearly all air conditioners and heat pumps that use R-410A have a device called a "filter drier". This important part does exactly what the name implies - it filters, cleans, and dries the refrigerant and oil as it circulates through your system just like the oil filter in your car. This device has been an important reason why air conditioners with 410A are considered by some manufacturers to be the most reliable product they make.
