Avoid Rising Service Costs with Puron Refrigerant
If you’re in the market for a new air conditioner or heat pump, you may want to heed some advice – from your car. Remember back in 1996 when all new automobile air conditioners started being made with a new refrigerant that was safer for the environment? A few years prior to that, production of the old refrigerant (Freon–12) began to be phased out. Thanks to the reduced supply and additional taxes, the cost to service your "old" air conditioner skyrocketed – jumping 650% from 1990 to 1997!

The Freon-22 Phase-Out
Well, now the same thing is happening right in your own home – with your air conditioner or heat pump. Freon-22 (also known as HCFC-22), the refrigerant used in most residential cooling systems, is being phased out by the U.S. government because it can damage the earth’s ozone layer. And it’s happening fast. Production of HCFCs was already capped in 1996. In 2004, the U.S. supply will be cut back a whopping 35%. By 2010, no more Freon-22 systems can be manufactured.

HCFC Phase-Out Schedule
1996    Cap on HCFC supply
2004    35% cutback in HCFC supply
2010    Freon-22 systems no longer produced

Gambling with Service Costs
Will Freon-22 costs go up the way Freon-12 costs did? It certainly looks that way. Since March 1998, the price of Freon-22 has already gone up more than 32%. And the actual production cutbacks haven’t even started yet. The really significant cutbacks (and expected price hikes) are only a few years away. But the average life of a new air conditioner or heat pump is about 15 years. Anyone can do the math. Buying a Freon-22 system now is like taking a big gamble with future service costs. And the odds are against you.

The Puron Refrigerant Solution
Fortunately, there’s a much more attractive option. You can protect your pocketbook and the environment at the same time by purchasing a cooling system with Puron refrigerant. Puron is approved by the U.S EPA as an environmentally sound alternative to Freon-22. And it’s the heating and cooling industry’s refrigerant of choice for the future.

While Puron may sound new, it’s actually been around for more than 5 years. Carrier’s WeatherMaker air conditioners and heat pumps with Puron refrigerant have been installed in over 100,000 homes around the country, and they have the best reliability record of any air conditioning systems Carrier makes. That’s saying a lot! But with Puron you get even more.

Sound Benefits
First of all, WeatherMaker systems with Puron refrigerant are more efficient than most Freon-22 systems. So you save energy and see lower utility bills, every month, for the life of your system. That will bring benefits to the environment and your wallet for years to come.

WeatherMaker systems with Puron refrigerant are also much more quiet. How much more? It would take at least four of these systems running at the same time to make as much sound as one typical Freon-22 system. And that’s worth, well, shouting about.

Making Environmentally Sound Choices
So if you agree that it’s wiser to choose a cooling system that won’t cost you a bundle in just a few years, take a look at Puron refrigerant. You can find out more by visiting Carrier’s web site at www.carrier.com. Or give us a call and find out how Carrier, Puron refrigerant, and all of us here at Bolyard’s can improve your environment – in more ways than one.