Quote:
Originally Posted by Cliff Fr
FYI: New EPA regulations go into effect in January. A different and new refrigerant will be required in all new units sold. The new refrigerant is flammable so all fittings will have to be compression fittings instead of soldered fittings. Prices are expected to increase about 25%. It is not known if modifications to existing installations will be required due to the increased fire hazard.
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The new refrigerant will only be for the new units starting 1/1/25. Changing of refrigerants has been going on for over 20 years and your existing systems will not need any modifications. The older refrigerants will be around for many years for maintenance purposes. Although the new refrigerant is somewhat flammable, it has a significantly higher efficiency and will not me a problem. It's similar to propane which many have in a tank in their yard or under the ground near their house. The newer HVAC units are more efficient and more sophisticated to get these efficiencies both for cooling and heating when using a heatpump which most of us are. This is why they will be more money. But the additional efficiency should offset some or all of the additional cost.