The new mandate for heating and air conditioning equipment from the U.S. Dept. of Energy took effect January 1, 2015. This government mandate states that all manufacturers can only build 14 SEER equipment after that date. The guidelines have different results for each part of the country. In our southeastern area, there is a 16 month "grace period", in which dealers may continue to install the lower 13 SEER equipment that is already in warehouse stock. This means that our area may continue to install the lower 13 SEER equipment for a continued limited time frame. It is unclear if the mandate will allow the installation of the lower equipment after the grace period expires.
You ask, "What does this mean for me?" If you have an older system which uses R22, the replacement system will use R410a at this time, and the oil used for the newer refrigerant is NOT compatible with the old. The best option is to replace the copper line set with a new line set from the outside unit to the indoor coil. In some cases, this is not possible, and the good alternative is to flush the old line set out to remove the majority of the old oil contaminants. This option still leaves the old copper tubing in use, which may have leaks in itself. The equipment manufacturer will not warranty the line set in their warranty, causing additional headaches for you the homeowner in the future. However, the new line set may not be able to be installed in the same location of the old line set. You may be faced with the possibility of the new line set being installed on the exterior of the home in order to give your new system the best operating ability and warranty.
The older line set may not be the proper size as required for the newer equipment, resulting the requirement of a new line set being installed for proper operation and warranty. If the older line set is smaller than required, it will cause performance issues for the new system and void the warranty due to not being properly installed.
The major issue for using the new higher SEER equipment is the requirement for a set amount of airflow to the system. This can include increasing the size of the return air intake and duct work. The supply duct work may also need to be renovated and increased in size to allow for proper airflow in the new updated equipment.
Please don't become upset with your installer when these facts are brought up. Everything is continually updated and changed, and going from an older system to a new upgraded system does come with some additional challenges.
If we can be of assistance to you, feel free to contact us.
