Consequences of 12/31/09 R22 Refrigerant Phase Out to Purchase of a Heat Pump ?

[akrauss]

I am considering purchase of a pool heat pump this summer. I understand that as of 12/31/09 USEPA has banned R22 Refrigerant currently used by many/most residential Heat Pumps. If you go to the Aqual Cal web site FAQ you will find the following:

"Q. Is the refrigerant used in heat pumps ecologically safe?
A. YES! The United Nations Environmental Protection Agency has approved R22 refigerant until December 31, 2009. Starting January 1, 2010, all manufacturers are required to use an alternative refrigerant. All AquaCal units will be changing to R410A. We currently offer R410A in the SQ155. R22 will be available for repairs until 2030."

Sooooooooo - assuming the SQ155 is not the right unit for me, what are my options ?

Any help in navigating this puzzle would be most appreciated.

[Poconos]

I'm certainly not up to date with the commercial world of refrigeration but I believe no R-12 or R-22 has been used in new units for many years. As a result of it's phaseout many years ago the cost has gone through the roof compared to the replacements so even though the FAQ says it can be used until the end of this year, I can't believe anyone would. R-22 was more efficient than R-12 and that's one of the reasons it was used in fixed AC units, refrigerators, and heat pumps. R-12 was primarily for automotive units. All those old refrigerants, including halons for fire suppression systems, supposedly depleted the ozone layer but I personally have problems believing all that is fed to us. It wasn't until recent times with the launch of UARS (Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite) that we could even monitor the ozone layer accurately so who knows if we're not just in a natural cycle and we won't know that until long after I'm gone. A lot of companies made a lot of money on this issue, thus my skepticism.
Bottom line, check the specs and if they are still using R-22 or one of the old ones, walk away. Service costs will mean lots of $$$$$.
Al
PS: Sorry for the rant but it felt good.

[CarlD]

Al's joining the Flat Earth Society as well! What's all this nonsense about the world being round? You'd fall off.

(I had a prof who claimed to be a Flat Earther and could destroy ANY argument against it made by any student. Of course, he was pulling our legs--he had been a navigator in the Merchant Marine in the War and either he HAD to know that celestial navigation could only work if the Earth is round, or....he got his ship lost all the time! They didn't have GPS then, only sextants, stop-watches, compasses, charts, and sight-reduction tables.)