Boca Raton, FL. - Property owners in Boca Raton who are planning an AC installation, heating installation or HVAC installation are running into a change that has little to do with brands or budgets: the refrigerant inside the equipment is changing. Under the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is phasing down hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, and its rules for residential and light commercial air conditioners and heat pumps are moving the industry toward refrigerants with a lower global warming potential. Pro Comfort AC, an HVAC contractor in Deerfield Beach that works throughout Boca Raton and the surrounding area, says it is worth understanding what that means before any system is replaced.
"Owners replacing a system today should ask what refrigerant it uses and whether their contractor is trained to handle it. Those answers affect service for years," said a Pro Comfort AC spokesperson.
The change matters most for cooling. A new air conditioner or heat pump installed in Boca Raton today may use a different refrigerant than the system it replaces, and some of the newer refrigerants are classified as mildly flammable (A2L). That classification affects how the refrigerant is stored, handled and installed, and building codes and manufacturer instructions have been updated to reflect it. For AC installation in Boca Raton, it also means matching components, such as indoor and outdoor units, are more likely to be specified together for the refrigerant they were designed to use.
Heating installation is affected unevenly. Heat pumps use refrigerant and fall under the same rules as air conditioners, while gas furnaces and electric resistance heaters do not use refrigerant at all. An owner comparing heating options in Boca Raton may therefore be dealing with the refrigerant question for one type of equipment and not for another. For larger properties, HVAC installation can involve systems that fall into different categories under the EPA's rules, so commercial owners are advised to confirm which category their equipment belongs to.
The rules are aimed mainly at new equipment. Systems that are already installed can generally continue to be used and serviced, and the transition does not by itself require an owner to replace a working system. Because the supply of older refrigerants is being reduced over time, owners of aging equipment may wish to ask about the long-term availability of refrigerant for their system when they plan repairs or replacement.
Pro Comfort AC suggests that owners considering replacement ask three questions: which refrigerant the new equipment uses, whether the installer holds the EPA Section 608 certification required to handle refrigerants, and whether the equipment has been matched to the refrigerant by the manufacturer. The EPA has revisited parts of its HFC rules since they were first issued, so owners are encouraged to check the agency's website at epa.gov for the requirements currently in effect.
About Pro Comfort AC
Pro Comfort AC LLC is an HVAC contractor located at 817 SE 9th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. It serves Broward County and Palm Beach County, including Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach and Coral Springs. The company provides residential and commercial AC installation and repair, heating installation and repair, duct services and air quality services. More information is available at procomfortac.com or by phone at (954) 363-9191.