Your heat pump has been a fantastic investment. It has kept you cool for many summers and significantly reduced the amount of energy and money you use to heat your home during the winters. But how long has it been doing all this work for you? Have you started to wonder how much longer your heat pump will keep running so efficiently, or when you will need heat pump replacement in Boston, MA? The answer is now! Here’s why.
The AIM Act
In 2020, the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act was signed into law. This is a collection of gradual changes meant to reduce dependency on foreign fuel, increase the number of jobs available in American industries, and make energy use more efficient. Many of them have been implemented already. In January 2025, a new section of this act will take effect.
Refrigerant
Refrigerant is the substance that runs through the coils of your heat pump, absorbing warmth in one area, releasing it in another, and continuing to flow through the circuit. This chemical compound has very high thermal conductivity, meaning it is excellent at changing temperature. For many years, the most common refrigerant in heat pumps and air conditioners has been R-410A.
A newer refrigerant compound called R-454B has been created in recent years. This is a more ecologically responsible refrigerant to use, reducing the environmental impact of air conditioner and heat pump use. In January, manufacturers will cease making new systems that rely on R-410A and will only make heat pumps and air conditioners that use R-454B.
Impacts on Consumers
While this change has very positive environmental effects, it will also have some impacts on people purchasing or repairing air conditioners and heat pumps, at least in the short- to mid-term. For one thing, these changes don’t mean that no R-410A will be manufactured at all, but it will be harder to find, and eventually, it will cease to exist. If your older system uses R-410A, if a leak occurs, it will become more expensive to fix as the cost for R-410A increases.
In terms of purchasing new systems, manufacturing costs will be increasing. This means that the price of new heat pumps and air conditioners will increase. Also, there are likely to be some supply-chain delays as these regulations take effect, leading to increased equipment costs and potential difficulty in scheduling your heat pump replacement.
To avoid all these issues, if your heat pump might need replacement in the next couple of years, it’s a good idea to think about replacing it now rather than wait until your existing system breaks down. You don’t want to be stuck without AC in the summer, or paying a much higher price for a system.
If you’d like more information, we’d love to talk with you about heat pump replacement. We’d love to make sure you get your home heating and cooling system sorted out before these changes take effect.
Reach out to Cooling Unlimited, Inc. to speak with qualified heat pump experts.