IT DEPENDS - BUT PROBABLY NOT (YET)!​ FOR DECADES, THE EPA HAS BEEN PHASING OUT SYNTHETIC CHEMICALS FOUND TO BE DESTROYING THE OZONE LAYER - CFCS, HALONS, AND HCFCS. THE U.S. SUCCESSFULLY PHASED OUT CFCS AND HALONS IN THE 90'S, AND THE PHASE-OUT PROCESS FOR HCFCS (LIKE R-22) BEGAN IN 2010. THAT SCHEDULE IS AS FOLLOWS:

 

JANUARY 1, 2010 - BAN ON PRODUCTION, IMPORT, AND USE OF R-22 AND R142B, EXCEPT FOR CONTINUING SERVICING NEEDS OF EXISTING EQUIPMENT.

JANUARY 1, 2015 - BAN ON PRODUCTION, IMPORT, AND USE OF ALL HCFCS, EXCEPT FOR CONTINUING SERVICING NEEDS OF REFRIGERATION EQUIPMENT.

JANUARY 1, 2020 - BAN ON PRODUCTION AND IMPORT OF R-22 AND R142B; SERVICING OF SYSTEMS WITH R-22 WILL RELY ON RECYCLED OR STOCKPILED QUANTITIES.

JANUARY 1, 2030 - BAN ON REMAINING PRODUCTION AND IMPORT OF ALL HCFCS.

 

SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOUR EQUIPMENT USING R-22? WHILE THE EPA HAS BANNED THE MANUFACTURE OF NEW EQUIPMENT CONTAINING R-22, ANY EQUIPMENT CONTAINING R-22 MANUFACTURED BEFORE 2010 IS STILL ALLOWED. YOU DO NOT NEED TO REPLACE YOUR EQUIPMENT JUST BECAUSE IT USES R-22. HOWEVER, THAT MAY NOT ALWAYS BE THE CASE.

 

PRIOR TO 2020, HVAC SUPPLIERS COULD EASILY ACCESS R-22 BECAUSE IT WAS STILL BEING PRODUCED AND IMPORTED FOR USE ON EXISTING R-22 SYSTEMS. BUT SINCE THE 2020 BAN ON THE PRODUCTION AND IMPORT OF R-22, HVAC SUPPLIERS HAVE HAD TO RELY ON THE EXISTING SUPPLY OF R-22, AND EVENTUALLY, THAT SUPPLY WILL RUN OUT. THE DWINDLING SUPPLY AND EXTREMELY HIGH COST OF R-22 MEANS SERVICING EQUIPMENT USING R-22 WILL NOT ALWAYS BE POSSIBLE OR REASONABLE AND MAY ULTIMATELY REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE UNIT.