What is R-22? R-22, also known as Freon or HCFC-22, is used around the world in commercial and residential air conditioning systems, chillers, and industrial applications. As an HCFC (hyrdochlorofluorocarbon), the synthetic chemicals found in R-22 produce emissions that destroy the stratospheric ozone layer, which protects the Earth from ultraviolet radiation. The US Environmental Protection Agency, along with global leaders, agreed to cease production and imports of R-22 at the end of 2019. At that point, servicing systems that contain R-22 will rely on stockpiled inventory or using recycled R-22 recovered from other HVAC systems. |