INDIANAPOLIS -- Just as summer really heats up, Angie's List is warning you to be on the lookout for companies or technicians who are using unapproved refrigerants to recharge your air conditioner.
For more than 60 years, most home air conditioning systems have used a refrigerant known as R-22 – commonly known as Freon. But the EPA is phasing that out in favor of a more efficient coolant, making R-22 harder to come by but still in high demand.
To meet that demand, some companies have been caught mixing R-22 with alternative coolants that are easier to get and cheaper to buy. They're also much more dangerous.
"A lot of them have propane or butane in them, which obviously can create a fire hazard or an explosion hazard, so it's dangerous for homeowners to handle those refrigerants, and it's illegal to put them in your system," said Charles Holden, an HVAC professional.
R-22 comes in a light green tank and is clearly marked. Ask your technician to show it to you before he recharges your system.
R-22 prices can vary wildly, anywhere from $50 to hundreds of dollars per pound. That number is expected to increase as production dwindles over the next few years. A typical home system needs four-to-10 pounds of Freon.
