Have you ever wondered what that legislation in Washington DC is doing to your pocketbook?

The refrigerant, Freon, inside your air conditioner has been universally recognized as an environmental risk. It has been linked to Ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere and has been named a global warming gas. The chemical compounds contained within this Freon are Chlorofluorocarbons. A combination of chlorine and fluorine with chlorine being the chemical that bounces around the atmosphere and eventually attached itself to ozone destroying it.

The Federal Government has Now Banned the Production of Air Conditioning Equipment and Heat Pump Equipment that Contains R22 Freon.

R22 Freon was banned for use in new air conditioning and heat pump appliances Jan 1, 2010. This legislation is far reaching and it is having an impact on you and your home’s cooling system.

R22 Freon, the Freon of choice for homes and businesses from the late 1960’s to 2009, nearly every home that had air conditioning had air conditioners using R22. The switch over has been coming for a number of years. The industry has been preparing for it since 1989 when President George Bush signed Montreal Protocols.

The last Freon that was banned was R12 and was used primarily for cars.

The federal government put so many taxes on it during its phase out that the price of the Freon went up by 10 times. We have been promised over the last couple of years that we would not see that type of increase in the Cost of R22 Freon by the federal government as they had no plans to increase the tax burden on the R22 Freon. We were also promised that R22 Freon would be readily available and in production up until 2020 and that recycling of the R22 Freon would make it available long after that.

Guess What? The Government Lied Again!

In mid-2009 I received word through an industry publication that the EPA is now predicting a 25 Million Pound shortage of Freon R22 in 2010. Further, in December 2009, we were informed of new, additional, regulations that restricted the production of Freon R22 starting in 2010 to 110 Million Pounds and further reductions on a yearly basis will be announced later this year for the years 2011 through 2014 with all production of Freon R22 stopping at that time. This was done, according to the articles I have read, to encourage the recycling efforts.

Since 2008 the wholesale price of R22 Freon has gone up by 400%.

You don’t have much of a choice anymore. Any new system or replacement system being replaced in 2010 and later, if they are built in 2010, will not be R22. The replacement for R22 is more environmentally friendly R410a. It is not environmentally friendly, just not as bad as R22. There are many Freons on the market, but right now the only viable replacement for R22 is R410a in new equipment.

The Air Conditioning Equipment Cannot Be Mixed and Matched!

It wasn’t that many years ago that we could replace the outdoor unit only when the air conditioning compressor died or the air conditioner condensing coil had Freon leaks in it from wear and tear. That changed a couple of years, for those of us in the know, when the new 13 SEER standard came out. It turns out that if you mix a 13 SEER condensing unit (R22) with a 10 SEER evaporator coil (R22) the end result was an 8 SEER system with up to a 40% reduction in cooling ability. Those of you that have had your outdoor air conditioning units replaced without the indoor air conditioner units replaced in the last couple of years have almost certainly noticed an increase in your electric bills and a reduction in the cooling and comfort ability of your air conditioning systems. This was the reason why.

R410a and R22 Freon is not compatible.

The R22 air conditioning compressor uses a mineral oil to lubricate the rotors, scrolls, valves and bearing surfaces whereas the R410a air conditioning compressor uses polyester oil (POE) that is synthetic. It isn’t important to know the differences in the air conditioner oils, only that if you mix the 2 types you end up with a frothy liquid oil and very lower lubrication which, of course, will lead to a premature end to the compressor. Further, the oil in the R410a scrubs the R22 mineral oil from the inside surfaces of the copper line-set and evaporator coil leading to a massive of contaminated oil residue that ends up in your brand new compressor. This is kind of like buying a brand new car and dumping some 10 year old oil used oil from your last car in the engine. It is a crazy. Don’t do it, you’ll regret it.

Your Old Air Conditioner will eventually be Obsolete

It may already be on its last leg and if that is case, it already is obsolete. If you have an R22 air conditioner and you are experiencing problems with it now, the future looks very dim for its survival. Should your home’s A/C require repairs, experience Freon leaks, have compressor failure or is driving your electric utility bills through the roof, now maybe the time to upgrade to a more cost effective system, one that reduces those monthly electric utility overpayments and one that won’t cost you and arm and leg to maintain for the next 10 to 15 years.

$1500 Tax Incentive is Available Now – While the Fed Still has Money to Give Away

Fortunately, now is the time to invest in a new high efficiency system for several reasons.

$1500 Tax incentive for new high efficiency air conditioning equipment

Electric rates always go up and this can reduce them by 40% or more

10 Year parts and labor on new systems – never pay a penny for repairs

Easy payment financing is available in as little as 10 minutes (oac)

R22 air conditioners have already been phased out

R22 is in short supply and prices are skyrocketing

1. Replacing Now...

When you replace your old worn out A/C system with a new R410a system not only are your electric bills going to go down, but we can correct those airflow problems in your home and make the upstairs cooler in the summer and downstairs warmer in the winter.

2. The utilies help you pay for it...

As you write that much smaller electric utility bill you can think about the advantages to a new system. The new systems are much quieter, come in multiple stages, and allow a higher degree of comfort by removing more water from the air in the summer while allowing a higher indoor temperature to feel more comfortable. An added bonus by removing “latent” heat from the air and stopping the constant on and off cycling of the air conditioner.

3. It will never be cheaper...

A new A/C system will never be less expensive than it will be right now. Furnaces and air conditioners are made from commodities. That is copper, steel and aluminum and these commodities constantly go up in expense. The government regulates these industries and is attempting to make them more environmentally friendly through the exercise of limitations and excessive taxation. Investing in a new R410 home air conditioning and heating system now will help you to avoid the passing on of these new regulations and taxations. The government has a lot of money to pay back. Congress has been on an unprecedented spending spree for years and has been printing money at the highest rate in the history of world. They are going to need to get the money to pay this back from somewhere. You might as well have that “somewhere” be someone else’s wallet rather than yours.

4. Its your money they're spending...

You can benefit from the government bailout just like everyone else, but only if you act fast enough before all the funds are exhausted. The money will be spent. The only thing up in the air concerning the money that will be spent is “where will it be spent.” It is time to take back some of the money that the government has been taking from you all these years.

Is Freon R22 Dangerous? This is from the Material Data Safety Sheet.

Dangerous for the ozone layer. Rapid evaporation of the liquid may cause frostbite. Vapors are heavier than air and cause suffocation by reducing oxygen available for breathing. May cause cardiac arrhythmia. Repeated or prolonged contact with the product may cause removal of natural fat from the skin resulting in non-allergic contact dermatitis and skin absorption. Excessive exposures may affect human health as follows: Severe shortness of breath, narcosis, and irregular cardiac activity.

Single inhalation exposure to high doses caused central nervous system  depression, inactivity or anesthesia, lung noise, altered respiratory rate, histopathological changes to the liver, cardiac sensitization, a potentially fatal disturbance of heart rhythm associated with a heightened sensitivity to the action of epinephrine.

Decomposition products are hazardous. “Freon” R22 can be decomposed by high temperatures (open flames, glowing metal surfaces, etc.) forming hydrochloric acids and hydrofluoric acids. Contact should be avoided.

Immediate effects of overexposure by inhalation may include central nervous system depression with dizziness, confusion, in coordination, drowsiness or unconsciousness. Gross overexposure may cause irregular heart beat with a strange sensation in the chest, “heart thumping”, apprehension, lightheadedness, feeling of fainting, dizziness and death. Other effects include fatality from gross over-exposure.

Contact with the vapor or aerosol may cause irritation with tearing, pain or blurred vision. Increased susceptibility to the effects of this material may be observed in persons with pre-existing disease of the central nervous system, cardiovascular system.

Disclosure as a toxic chemical is required under Section 313 of Title III of the superfund amendments and reauthorization act of 1986 and 40 CFR part 372.

Inhalation of high concentrations of vapor is harmful and may cause heart irregularities, unconsciousness or death. Intentional misuse or deliberate inhalation can be fatal. Vapors are heavier than air and pose a threat of suffocation if trapped in enclosed or low places. Liquid contact can cause frostbite. Inhalation may cause dizziness, headache, confusion, in coordination, and loss of consciousness.

We work on all furnaces and heaters including Rheem furnace, Ruud furnace, Carrier furnace, Day and Night furnace, Bryant furnace, Lennox furnace, Ducane furnace, Premier furnace, York furnace, Heil furnace, Tempstar furnace, Coleman furnace, Red T furnace, Cozy furnace, Empire furnace, Williams furnace, Interthem furnace, Trane furnace, American Standard furnace and more.

Some of the cities that we work in are: Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Dana Point, El Toro, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Habra, La Palma, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Trabuco Canyon, Villa Park, Westminster, Yorba Linda, Sunset Beach, Bell Gardens, Bellflower, Carson, Cerritos, Commerce, Diamond Bar, Downey, Gardena, Hawaiian Gardens, Industry, La Habra Heights, Lakewood, La Mirada, Long Beach, Lynwood, Montebello, Norwalk, Palos Verdes, Paramount, Pico Rivera, Rancho Palos Verdes, Santa Fe Springs, Signal Hill, South Gate, Whittier

We specialize in heating repair, furnace repair, air conditioning repair, a/c repair, a c repair, duct repair, duct cleaning. We also install new air conditioning, new a/c systems, new furnaces, new heaters and new heating systems. We work on heat pumps, split air conditioning systems, water furnaces, hydronic heaters, package air conditioners and mini split ductless systems.

You will be 100% Satisfied and I am betting my paycheck on it!

We guarantee everything we do.

Long term member in great standing. You can trust us with your home comfort needs.

Recognized and approved as a member providing excellent services.

We service all brands of Freon air conditioning and perform the following services, Freon leak detection, Freon leak repair, adding Freon, topping off Freon, Freon dye testing, Freon change out, Freon conversions, Freon compressor replacement, Freon valve replacement, ultra violet Freon leak testing, isolation Freon leak detecting, evaporator coil cleaning, evaporator coil mold reduction, evaporator coil replacement, evaporator coil upgrade, condesning unit replacement, compressor replacement, condensing coil replacement and much, much more.

We are a full service central heating, air conditioning, service, repair and installation company.

"....efficient and reliable....We were given estimates for the word to be done before the work proceeded. All in all everyone at Empire was very helpful and friendly. I will continue to use this company for all of our needs."

Dorix Reimer

"Think you for the superior service that I have received fro your company, especially from Ryan. He not only installed my air conditioner, but on several occasions came back to assist me in learning how to operate the system."

Marilyn Myers

"I find that the service from Empire Plumbing and Heating has been extraordinary, I felt an obligation to write and let you know how pleased I was with your service and thoroughness, and especially the very competitive price. Tom, the technician that supervised and did the work is really to be commended. Not only did he do a superb job, he was also very professional and courteous in all aspects of the job. I cannot say enough for the job he did for me."

Marjorie Regan