"cybercat" wrote

before they changed the type or not. If it predates the new stuff, you
will want to check prices for replacement as you may not be able to get
the old style much longer at all.

Thanks! I will do that. I had no idea about them changing types. I guess
you can't add coolant to the new type?

Not exactly. It's that you can't add the new coolant to the old type
machines. Freon and some shift. I am sorry that i can't recall the dates
of the shift but if they tell you to replace the unit as it has older
coolant type, I'd start checking prices right away.

Here's the upside of that *if* it comes to that. Check energystar ratings.
If you get a unit that is so rated, your electrical bills will be less in
summer and you can file it as an energy improvement on the following year's
taxes. You dont get a total write off for the cost on adding such an
'upgrade' but a portion of it comes back so you may get as much as 20% of
the cost back? Will depend on your circumstances and wages etc.

Now, sometimes they can adapt a unit built for the older coolant, but it
seldom works as well as intended or as well as one built for the new stuff.
It also can (sometimes) cost as much as 50% of the price of a new unit to
adapt an old one. When you think about the lifecycle of an AC system and
your's being 12 years (12 right?) this may not be a very good deal
financially.

Now lets take best and worst case at same time. Older coolant but you guy
can supply it. If you do not have a true leak, go for it as you'll be good
a few more years. Check prices of new units but wait as they are getting
more and more efficient as we typo to one another.