• Plumbing
    • Residential
      • Emergency Plumbing
      • Water Heater Installation
      • Water Heater Repair & Service
      • Drain Cleaning
      • Pipe Inspection
      • Sewer Line Repair
      • Water Service Repair
      • Remodel & Replace
    • Commercial
      • Plumbing Construction
    • Industrial
      • Site Utilities
  • HVAC
    • Residential
      • Emergency HVAC Repair
      • HVAC Installation
      • Heating Repair & Service
      • AC Repair & Service
      • Boilers
      • Air Purification Systems
    • Commercial
      • HVAC Installation
      • HVAC Repair & Service
    • Industrial
  • Reviews
  • About
    • Contact
    • Service Area
    • Blog
      • Karli’s Corner
    • Careers
    • Videos
    • Specials
  • Resources
  • (402) 731-2727
Schedule Service
Pay Bill Online
You are here: Home / HVAC / How does refrigerant work in air conditioning?

How does refrigerant work in air conditioning?

July 15, 2020 by Eyman Plumbing Staff

The “refrigerant” in an air conditioner typically refers to the blend of chemicals responsible for cooling the air. Refrigerant can easily alternate between states of liquid and gas. As it does so, heat is absorbed and released, cooling the air.

Let’s break that down.

Inside an air conditioning unit, there is a compressor. This compressor alters liquid refrigerant into a high-pressure, high-temperature gas; it advances to the outside coil of the air conditioner. Once there, the gas releases heat through condensation. It travels back to the indoor coil and cools through evaporation. This process pulls heat from the air, thus cooling the air inside. Finally, the refrigerant, in liquid form, returns to the compressor to start the process all over again.

Types of Refrigerant

Residential cooling systems use one of two types of refrigerant. They aren’t interchangeable, so it’s imperative to know which your air conditioner uses.

Out With the Old Hydrochlorofluorocarbons

Most air conditioner manufacturers include a label identifying which refrigerant to use in your air conditioner. This is very important because refrigerants, as stated previously, are NOT INTERCHANGEABLE.

NOTE: Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are being used less and less with the emergence of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), as it has a smaller carbon footprint. In addition, Hydrofluorocarbons offer greater cooling potential.

R-22 (Freon)

Also known as “Freon,” R-22 is being phased-out due to its negative effects on the environment and sizable carbon footprint. It was used for decades as the standard refrigerant for air conditioning systems. However, as a result of being linked to depletion of the Ozone layer, Freon was banned from manufacturing as of 2010.

R410A (Puron)

Also called “Puron,” R410A is the current industry recommendation and steadily phasing R-22 out for various reasons. Unlike R-22, R410A has a smaller carbon footprint and better cooling capabilities. As the name “Puron” suggests, R410A is a pure, single component refrigerant with one-third the amount of harmful effects on the environment than that of R-22. As a result, Puron is predicted to entirely replace R-22 by 2020.

Have questions or concerns? Ask your HVAC contractor for recommendations. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (402) 731-2727 today.

Filed Under: HVAC Tagged With: air-conditioning

QUICK SERVICE REQUEST

During regular business hours, Mon-Fri, 7am-5pm
  • After regular business hours,
    Mon-Fri, 7am-5pm, please
    call 402-731-2727 ext2
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Client Reviews & Testimonials

Eyman Plumbing Heating & Air
Omaha’s Finest Since 1957
8506 South 117th Street
La Vista, NE 68128-5560
Phone: (402) 731-2727
Email:service@trusteyman.com
Pay Bill Online

 

Hours of Operation: Mon-Fri 7:00am-5:00pm
Emergency Service available 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. 365 days a year
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

 

Please follow & like us

Facebook
Facebook
fb-share-icon
YouTube
Angies list