Replacing an R-22 AC System in North DFW

Bottom line: If your home in North DFW was built before about 2010, there is a good chance the AC still runs, or was built to run, on R-22. R-22 has not been produced or imported in the U.S. since January 1, 2020. Your system can still be serviced with recovered refrigerant, but every leak gets more expensive. Here is how to decide what to do. Call (469) 213-8450.

How to Tell if You Have R-22

Look at the data plate on the outdoor unit. It lists the refrigerant type, usually as R-22 or HCFC-22. New R-22 equipment stopped being manufactured in 2010, so systems installed before then are the ones to check. Send us a photo of the plate and we will tell you what you have.

Repair, Recharge, or Replace

• No leak, running fine: keep it, maintain it, and plan ahead.
• Small leak on a newer coil: repair can make sense. We price the leak repair and recharge together.
• Repeat leaks, an original system, or a failed compressor: replacement is usually the better money. Topping off R-22 every summer is paying for the same problem again.

Never let anyone put a substitute “drop-in” refrigerant into an R-22 system without explaining the trade-offs in writing. Mixed refrigerants complicate every future repair.

Where Original Systems Are Concentrated

Based on Census housing data, the oldest housing in our area is in Garland (average home built around 1980), Richardson (half built before 1988), Carrollton (1989), Lewisville (1992), and Plano (1993). Wylie, Allen, and The Colony grew in the late 1990s and 2000s, which puts many of their original systems at 18 to 25 years old right now.

Replacement by city: Garland · Richardson · Carrollton · Lewisville · Plano · Wylie · Allen · The Colony · McKinney

How We Replace an R-22 System

We recover the old refrigerant as the law requires, size the new system with an independent Manual J, and either replace the line set or flush the existing lines to remove old mineral oil before connecting the new refrigerant. Old oil left in a line set is one of the most common reasons a new system fails early. You get a written commissioning report with your startup readings.

R-22 Questions

Is R-22 illegal to use?
No. You can keep running and servicing an R-22 system. Production and import ended January 1, 2020, so the only supply is recovered, recycled, or existing stock, which makes it expensive.

Can a new outdoor unit be matched to my old indoor coil?
Not with a different refrigerant. A modern system needs a matched indoor coil or air handler, and the line set must be replaced or properly flushed.

How much does it cost to replace an R-22 system?
It depends on the size of the home, the equipment, and the duct condition. Call us for a free in-home estimate with written numbers.

Still on R-22? Get a free replacement estimate: (469) 213-8450