Your Guide to the 2025 HVAC Refrigerant Phase-Out

February 1, 2025

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandated that starting January 1st, 2025, only eco-friendly refrigerants will be used in newly manufactured HVAC systems. Here’s what this means to you as a homeowner in the Los Angeles, CA area. The Refrigerants Being Phased Out In 1987, the United Nations finalized a global agreement to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances. This agreement, known as the Montreal Protocol, targeted substances used in products such as air conditioners, refrigerators, aerosols, and fire extinguishers. The Montreal Protocol’s goal was to mitigate global warming. The ozone layer filters out harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun, which is known to reduce agricultural productivity, disrupt marine ecosystems, and increase the prevalence of skin cancer and cataracts. The Montreal Protocol was scheduled to be implemented in different stages as technology improved. After the Kigali Amendment was adopted in 2016, the next milestone in this effort was the 2025 HVAC refrigerant phase-out. This phase-out targets hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are powerful greenhouse gases that, while less damaging to the ozone layer than their predecessors, contribute significantly to global warming. The refrigerants affected in this phase-out include R-410A and R-22. Their production, importation,...

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Should I run my HVAC system during a wildfire?

August 15, 2022

Wildfires are becoming extremely common in California, and it seems that every year now we have at least a few massive fires. All of these fires put off a huge amount of smoke that can have a dramatic impact on air quality. This air quality problem isn’t just limited to the outdoors, as the smoky air and ash can seep into buildings and result in poor indoor air quality as well. With the recent uptick in major wildfires, one question we have been getting from our customers more and more often is whether they can still run their air conditioning when the air outside is smoky. The answer to that question is yes, and here are the reasons why. Why AC Is Safe to Use During a Wildfire It is not only safe to run your air conditioner during a wildfire, but it is actually recommended. The one thing you shouldn’t do when the air outside is smoky is to leave your windows or doors open. Even if the weather is mild, all of that smoke will enter the house through your open windows and doors and reduce your indoor air quality. This is why you should always keep your...

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Avoid These Home Cooling Myths

August 3, 2021

You want your house to be cool, but you don’t want to have to pay more than you need to for your cooling bills. This can push you to do some things that will actually cause you to expend even more money on your cooling in an attempt to curb the amount of money spent. Knowing what is true and what is false when it comes to energy-saving advice can help you and your family save potentially hundreds or even thousands of dollars every summer in cooling costs. Watch out for these myths about saving on cooling costs. Air Conditioners Don’t Manufacture Coolness One of the first things that you should know about air conditioners is that they don’t manufacture cold air, and to better understand this point, you have to think about what heat and cold are. Heat is the presence of energy, and cold is the absence of heat and energy. So when you turn on an air conditioner, it will pull hot, humid air from your house and remove the heat and moisture from it. Then, the air conditioner will pump the air that now has less heat and moisture back into the room. This is useful...

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