If you’ve ever purchased or shopped for an air conditioning unit, you may know that there are two general kinds of systems that work best in properties like your rental.
Those are the R22 air conditioning system and the 410A air conditioning system. We have asked Brian from Keller Services to discuss the difference in these two systems, and make a recommendation about which one to purchase.
R22 vs. 410A
Basically these air conditioners run the same way, and the only real difference is just in their operating pressures. They will all have the same capacities and ratings. However, you won’t want to buy the R22 model because it’s not going to be around for much longer.
R22 Phase Out
The government is phasing out R22s. You cannot buy that equipment anymore, so it’s getting a lot more expensive and inconvenient to purchase an R22. At this time, you need to switch to the 410A. When you have a problem at one of your investment properties and you realize that a condenser went down in the air conditioning unit, if it’s an R22, you’re going to want to think hard before you repair it. The better and more cost efficient answer might be to replace it. Take this opportunity to upgrade to the 410A. The age of the inside unit will play a role in this decision, because you can change the outside unit and simply update the monitoring device on the inside.
There are some blended refrigerants available on the market when you’re between systems or trying to repair an R22 and you can’t find the right parts and equipment. These blended refrigerants may be the way to go, but if you have a 3 ton system, you might get refrigerant that is only for 2 ton or 2.5 tons. So in the long run, just replace that system with the 410A. The upgrade is worth the investment.
If you have any questions about air conditioning systems and how they impact your rental property, please contact us at McCaw Property Management.