Jeffery;

You'll find that the efficiency of Puron is higher. 13 SEER or higher.
Soon, the minimum SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating) will be a 13.
(The DOE - Department of Energy is mandating the change by 2005)
Manufacturers (Carrier) today have been offering Puron for about 7 -8 years
now and are finding that it is just as reliable as R-22. But, the cost of
the refrigerant is considerably higher today for R-410 (Puron) than R-22.
So repairs later may cost more. (The equipment cost is about the same
though - go figure.)

Replacement units for R-22 will continue to be available until 2010. I'd
expect that R-22 refrigerant will still be available long after you and I
won't care, but most of my customers are opting for R-410. It offers higher
energy savings and reliability, is environmentally friendly, and not a
refrigerant that will be disappearing soon.

The con side of all this is, the European Market is opting for R-407 instead
of R-410. It seems the higher pressures are cause for concern. So it may
be the U.S. will be alone in the use of R-410 down the road. Time will
tell.

Many contractors are dragging their feet on the newer refrigerant because of
it's higher pressures, and its affinity for moisture. (Cause for the HVAC
Contractor to bone up on the use of the newer gas.) Both not pleasant for
the HVAC person.

Zyp

"Jeffrey J. Kosowsky" wrote in message
...
When buying a new central air system, would you go with tried-and-true
R22 or with Puron?
If you go with R22, how much longer will it still be available (at
reasonable cost)?

Thanks