Starting January 1, 2010, a new EPA mandate will change the maintenance, repair and warranty options on your home air conditioner. At that time, manufacturing HVAC equipment that primarily utilizes Freon® (also known as R-22 and HCFC-22) will be banned, and the nation will begin using products such as Puron® (also known as R-410A) as the standard refrigerant for air conditioners. Read all about the changes—and how they'll affect you—here.

Costs will increase.

A variety of factors will lead to increased costs:

• R-22 parts may no longer be available.
• Since R-410A parts are not always interchangeable with R-22 parts, replacement of the entire system might be necessary.
• Physical changes to your system may be needed to accommodate the larger equipment required in air conditioners using R-410A refrigerant.
• The supply of R-22 refrigerant will be limited, causing the price to increase.
• Repairs may take longer because you may want to explore your options and wait for less expensive parts, if they are available.

New HVAC equipment may be more expensive to purchase and install.

R-410A equipment is typically more expensive than R-22 equipment.

Manufacturers' warranties may not provide full coverage.

Typical manufacturers' warranties only cover parts for one year, in most cases. Labor is a significant part of any repair. Each manufacturer may take a different position if an R-22 system can not be repaired or parts are not available.

System and appliance warranties/ service contracts typically exclude coverage resulting from government-mandated changes.

Most system and appliance home service contracts/warranties contain language that effectively excludes the additional costs resulting from this government-mandated change. Each home service contract may deal with this situation differently.

Selection of a qualified HVAC contractor will be more difficult.

You will need to be sure that your HVAC contractor is adequately informed and trained about the new standards. Additionally, contractors will need different tools and service equipment from that previously used.

If you are currently have a 2-10 HBW home service contract call 1-800-743-4210 to see if you are eligible to add R-410A coverage.