On May 31, 8:11*am, jamesgangnc wrote:
On May 30, 9:53*pm, WandererFan wrote:





Had a tech out to look over my 20 yr old central a/c today. *He said
the fluid level was "border line", but that he was not allowed to top
up the system as it used the old type of fluid (R22?). * He said if
the system couldn't keep up with the load it would have to be
replaced.

Since we are probably leaving this house in the next year or so, I'm
not enthusiastic about a new a/c plant. *A new, more efficient setup
would not pay us back in time.

A bit of googling seems to indicate that R22 is still going to be
around until 2015 or 2020 and that its use in existing equipment is
still ok.

Was the tech correct, or just trying to earn a commission?

TIA,
Chris

That's crap. He's just trying to sell you a new unit. *What changed is
that as of 2010 manufacturers are no longer allowed to make new
equipment that uses r22. *R22 can still be use dto service exitsing
equipment. *R22 is being phased out. *As of 2020 r22 it's self will
not be manufactured, only reclaimed/recycled r22 can be used. *R22
will get real expensive then. *It's possible someone will come up with
a substitute that can be used in r22 systems between now and then but
no one has so far. *The newer refridgerants run at a significantly
higher pressure and can't be used in an r22 system.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Agree with the above. You need an honest tech. The system
should be checked for leaks. If it's a leak that can be easily
and inexpensively fixed, then you could do that and then
re-charge the system. If it's a leak in the coils, etc. then it's
time for a new system.

Even if you're selling your home, you might get most or all
of the money back. A home inspector is going to flag
a 20 year old AC as being near it's end of life. Doesn't
mean you have any obligation to replace it, but it will
make the buyers more nervous and they may use
some other issue to hardball or scuttle the deal. And
if you have a new system, you can feature that you
have a brand new high efficiency HVAC system as
a selling point. A lot of people just want a house with
no issues. Also look into the various rebates that
are available from utilities, state gov, etc. Last year
the FEDS had a 30% tax credit on the purchase of
a new system that met certain efficiency standards.