Short #65 – Is R22 Becoming Illegal

In this short podcast, Bryan discusses the recent ads and news articles claiming that homeowners are in trouble and that R22 is becoming illegal.

The R22 phaseout has been on the agenda for a long time and will finally come into effect in 2020. HCFCs have ozone-depleting potential, and it is time to look at more eco-friendly alternatives, such as R410A and R407A. The phaseout has affected prices and will cease virgin refrigerant production. However, after the phaseout period begins, R22 will NOT become illegal; you will still be able to find it in supply houses for a while.

Nevertheless, you will only have access to recovered stock, and the costs may go up as the supply depletes. It is also NOT illegal to recharge systems with R22 as long as the refrigerant charge is under 50 pounds. You also still cannot vent or import R22. Overall, the AHJ may make different rules, but the EPA is not making the refrigerant illegal.

Customers need not worry about replacing their air conditioner. There may be benefits to replacing an air conditioner, such as efficiency gains. However, there is no legal reason for customers to worry about replacing their systems. As HVAC technicians, we should focus on repairing leaks on R22 systems for customers who do not want to replace their systems. The most important thing to do is be honest with the customer; you can ease their worries about the legality of their system. However, you can still be honest about the environmental impact if the customer expresses concern about that.

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Author:

Bryan Orr

Company: HVAC School

Position: Founder

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HVAC School – For Techs, By Techs

Real training for HVAC ( Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) Technicians. Including recorded tech training, interviews, diagnostics and general conversations about the trade.

In today’s podcast, Bryan talks with legendary Hydronics author and trainer Dan Holohan about the history of steam heating and some practical applications of old ideas. Recently, Dan has been working on more novels, having published two of them over the past few months.

Steam heating is a “lost art” nowadays; it has become increasingly uncommon and has been disappearing since the Vietnam War. Many people who understood steam heating either retired or died after the Vietnam War. Many elements of steam heating are difficult to understand or surprising. (For example, steam pressure has a surprising relationship with velocity: low-pressure steam moves through piping much more quickly than high-pressure steam.) So, Dan Holohan is on a mission to revive that knowledge and teach the newer generations about the lost art.

There are many older steam heating systems still operating today, especially in the older large buildings in New York. Dan learned a lot about steam heating when working on these old systems and optimizing them. Most of the time, he optimized those systems by removing unnecessary accessories, not by adding components like steam traps.

Many old boilers used coal as a heat source. Nowadays, many old boilers have been fitted with conversion oil burners with thermostats, but they are still piped for coal. Some systems now have multiple risers or massive vents on the main riser to prevent the thermostats from getting too hot too early and satisfying the thermostat too early. We call that master venting, which reduces pressure and allows steam to move very quickly and efficiently.

Dan also discusses:

The 2-PSI standard
Transportation metaphors for BTUs in steam
Harmful renovations for old boilers
Replacement vs. restoration mindsets
Gaps in steam boiler education
Monopolizing the market if you HAVE the education
Boiler piping and venting
Two-pipe vs one-pipe steam

Find out more about Dan and hydronic heating at HeatingHelp.com.

Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool.

Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 6th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android.