Best AC needs the best Refrigerants! Years before when AC was a part of luxury items at homes and offices, you may have heard about one fact regarding them. It is they are not environment-friendly.
After all, they had contained refrigerants that are depleting the ozone layer. It is one of the different reasons for Global Warming! But now the air conditioners have taken the place of common appliances in our homes.
Now people of different categories who can afford are adopting it everywhere. So, whether we all do not care about our environment and giving priority to our comfort only? Or today’s situation is something else than what we have heard from others till now?
Well, we will check this out in this section. It can help you to understand well about the preferable refrigerants that are highly used in ACs. By this, you can consider the best for yourself available at present!
What is Refrigerant in an AC?
To quickly remind, a refrigerant is just fluid or gas. It works as a coolant or as a cooling source in all different cooling appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners.
It is used inside the condenser coils that absorb heat from the space where the AC has been installed. The next step of it will be to take it to the outside environment by changing its state to hot gas from cooling liquid! After disposing of the heat, it is transferred back to the liquid state by the compressor.
Now, as time is passing, there are several advancements in technology and so in using different refrigerants inside AC units. Top manufacturers of related appliances always take much care to serve the best possible available with them.
Every AC users must remove any doubts or misconceptions related to refrigerants that they are using in them. It can help them to know about any harmful effects of using an AC on the environment!
What are the Various Types of Refrigerants used in an Air Conditioner?
Till now, there are many types of refrigerants used by the experts in ACs. Let us have a look at their characteristics;
1) R22 (Freon) or HCFCs (Hydrochlorofluorocarbons)
We are starting with the most common refrigerant before some years that were used inside air conditioners. It is under the list of gases that are responsible for harming the ozone layer, and hence today, it is recommended to avoid using it in ACs as much as possible.
A good thing about them is they are better than R12 or Chlorofluorocarbons. The reason is that CFCs were having more contribution to the greenhouse gas effect and are ceased in 1994.
2) R32, R-134A, R-410A (Puron) or HFC’s (Hydrofluorocarbons)
Many top companies of air conditioners use R32 refrigerants since they are better than HCF’s. It has been said that they are not contributing to damaging the ozone layer.
But it does not mean they are entirely safer to not contribute to global warming! Hence, these gases are not suitable for our environment. R-134A is the first commercialized non-ozone depleting refrigerant under this category. R32 is more energy efficient in comparison to R410A.
If we discuss the R32, then it is also the best to be used in an AC. Only an F-Gas certified professional has the right to install or deal with this gas. The concentration of this gas is lower and with no chances of combustion. The best fact is R32 can be recycled or reused with ease.
But many new AC units, also do come with R-410A gas in them as standard refrigerant used in residential air conditioners. It is because they are safer to our nature than R22 and cannot be interchangeable in a system with them. They can better absorb and release the heat and avoids overheating scenarios in the compressor section.
Also, R-410A works at higher pressures. So this tendency removes the possibility of any break or damage to form in terms of cracks. Their systems need synthetic oil for lubrication purposes. It can enhance the overall performance of the air conditioner system.
3) HC (Hydrocarbons)
Many nations are slowly adopting to most nature-friendly refrigerants to be used in Air conditioners. They are R-600A (Iso-Butane) and R-290(Propane). Both of them contribute to zero damage to the ozone layer and also almost null potential to participate in global warming!
Hence, they are greenest and more energy-efficient refrigerants used in ACs till now. Not all but few companies have started using them in their models and gaining much acceptance!
How to Find the Best Refrigerant used in an AC?
Here is a quick look at the different refrigerants used till now in ACs and it can help you to find the best ones among them;
| S.No. | Refrigerant | Potential of contribution in Global Warming | Potential of contribution in Ozone Depletion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | R 290 | 3 | Nil |
| 2 | R 600A | 3 | Nil |
| 3 | R32 | 675 | Nil |
| 4 | R 410A | 2088 | Nil |
| 5 | R 134A | 1430 | Nil |
| 6 | R22 | 1810 | Medium |
Additionally, you can find many other refrigerants that are formed with a mix of two or more different ones! It includes R-404A that is a blend of R 134, R143A, and R 125; R-407C formed by mixing of R-134A, R-32, and R-125; next, is R-507 which is a blend of R-125 and R-143A; and more!
Thus, R 290 and R 600A are supposed to be the future of refrigerants for AC. You cannot upgrade from one refrigerant to others with ease. Otherwise, it will result in higher electricity bills or demand regular servicing. So, if you do care about your nature, then better try to buy or use an AC unit that comes with the most eco-friendly refrigerant installed inside it!
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Thanks!