When you’re looking for a new air conditioning system installation in Fresno, CA, you’ll have many questions about cooling power, energy efficiency, and cost. There’s plenty to consider when planning for a new cooling system, and you want to make sure you get the right air conditioner. We recommend you work with our professionals from the start so we can answer your questions and ensure you have a properly sized new AC.
The question of what “Puron” is and how it’s different from Freon we can answer here. The word “Freon” tends to get tossed around interchangeably, leading to confusion about refrigerants. We’re happy to clear things up.
Puron is the current standard refrigerant for air conditioning systems
Puron is the brand name of a refrigerant blend also known as R-410A. (The letters and numbers refer to the molecular structure, and we’re not getting into that here.) It is not a new refrigerant, but has been used in refrigeration equipment since 1996, when it was introduced as a measure against ozone-depletion. It is now used in air conditioning systems across the country.
Freon is a phased-out refrigerant
Although Freon is often misused to refer to any refrigerant blend found in air conditioners or refrigerators, it’s a brand name for a specific type of refrigerant, R-22, sometimes listed as Freon-22 or just 22 on air conditioning cabinets. Freon was the standard refrigerant for air conditioners for decades, and that’s why the name became so closely associated with refrigerants and still gets used to refer to refrigerants that aren’t Freon. (Be cautious of any “HVAC expert” who can’t tell the difference between Puron and Freon.)
Because Freon was declared harmful to the environment in 1990, a staged phase-out started that concluded last year. As of January 2020, Freon is no longer manufactured in the US, and remaining supplies or recycled Freon cannot be used to repair a broken R-22 air conditioner.
Replace your air conditioner if it uses Freon
Because Freon is scarce and cannot be used to repair air conditioners anymore, we recommend you have a Freon-using AC replaced. You can’t just have Puron put into an old R-22 unit: air conditioning systems are designed to use a specific refrigerant blend. If you do have an R-22 air conditioner, it’s probably old enough now that it’s ready to be replaced anyway.
Puron offers many advantages and is all-around the better refrigerant:
- It’s non-flammable and the least toxic of refrigerants.
- It doesn’t cause corrosion to refrigerant lines.
- Because it can be used in high-pressure air conditioning systems, it can more rapidly deliver cooling to a house. This makes an R-410A air conditioner generally more energy efficient.
- Puron air conditioners run quieter.
If you are looking for a new air conditioning system, you won’t have to worry about its refrigerant type: it will use Puron. If you have an old Freon system (check the manufacturer plate), we suggest calling us to schedule an air conditioning system replacement.
Schedule air conditioning system installation with Purl’s Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning. “Quality Is the Cornerstone of Our Success” since 1952.