What’s all the noise about new refrigerants about?

• a. Do I have to replace my unit?
  i. Wrong. There have been some commercials that seem to be designed to scare you into action. This is unfortunate.
  b. Will I have to replace my “Freon” with a new type?
  i. No. Here’s a quote from Trane’s Communication Bulletin: “units using R-22 will always be serviced with R-22. They should never need to be changed or retrofitted to a different refrigerant.”
  c. My refrigerant won’t be available soon.
  i. Wrong. Quoting Trane again: “New R-22 is expected to be available for the next 20 years. Recycled and reclaimed R-22 makes the fluid likely to be available past the life of all equipment installed until 2010. You can have confidence buying a system using R-22 even to the year 2010. It's simply not an issue today.”
  d. The cost of my old refrigerant will become extremely high in cost.
  i. No. R-22 is not likely to be subjected to major price increases like R12 because of its widespread availability and a lengthy phase out period. Consumers can also feel confident that R-22 will be available at a reasonable price beyond 2020. Many comparisons have been made between the phase out of R-12 (a CFC) and R-22 (an HCFC), but few similarities actually exist. The major price increase that occurred with R-12 was largely due to a high government excise tax that was placed on it in order to accelerate its phase out. It is highly improbable that this will occur with R-22. This R-22 refrigerant is at least 95% less damaging to the ozone layer than CFCs should it ever escape. And, there is a 20 + year phase out timeline firmly in place. Because R-22 will be readily available for many years to come, market conditions will not be influenced by the same volatility and forced acceleration campaign that surrounded the phase out of R-12.
  e. Should I select a system that uses R-410a?
  i. A major manufacturer says: Homeowners should select heating and air conditioning products based on efficiency, reliability, durability, and dealer recommendations – not on the refrigerants they use.