Talk about ignoring externality costs. You can't get R22 freon to repair an A/C unit with a very slow leak because R22 harms the environment.
Instead, you are encouraged to throw a mountain of A/C equipment out and send it to a junk yard, then replace it with another $10k of equipment that cost god knows how much in energy to manufacture and install.
I think the damage of R22 freon to the ozone will always be greater than any cost/impact of getting a new system.
EPA estimates that every kilogram of R22 released into the atmosphere has the potential to destroy about 20 kg of ozone.
The slow leak will release ~.5kg over a year, so that would be about 10kg of ozone each year; that leak will deplete.
We all have had more than enough time to plan, budget, and replace this old AC equipment.
@INIT6 Ignoring the financial cost of a new unit, I'm in fact more interested in the carbon footprint. The disposal and processing of an old A/C plus the energy required to manufacture and install a new one is not carbon neutral.
Because of that, there is math one can do to determine which is more environmentally responsible.
No need to perform math. It will always be better for the environment not to release Ozone-Depleting Substances (ODS) into the atmosphere.
In fact, knowingly releasing ODSs into the atmosphere is a crime. (Clean Air Act)
See if there are any Retrofit options for your unit to switch to R407C/R422D.
If you must run this through a Math formula, make sure you account for the new unit's energy efficiency.
@INIT6 So it'll be good for the environment if I dispose of and purchase a new A/C unit once a month?
Clearly not - those activities deplete ozone as well.
Lee that is clearly not a good-faith argument. Of course, you shouldn't replace your AC unit once a month. Honestly, kind of disrespectful.
have a nice day.
@INIT6 It's not intended to be an argument at all. It's a method of reasoning along the lines of the Intermediate Value Theorem.
Never replacing a perfectly sealed A/C unit is ideal from an environmental standpoint. Replacing it monthly is obviously not due to its environmental impact.
So there is some point where the environmental impact of replacing an A/C unit is equivalent to the environmental impact of a slowly leaking old one. That is a deeper and legitimate question, wouldn't you agree?
Yes, I agree it's a valid question and line of reasoning; however, it doesn't work for this conversation because the IVT you are trying to use doesn't account for the global impact of the actions. There is no acceptable amount of ODSs to be released.
You are also overlooking that it is not only bad for the environment to release ODSs, it's also against the law.
Hell, it's one of the few things almost all countries in the world agree is a bad thing to do.
Freon units stopped being produced 1/1/2010. Part production stopped on 12/31/2019.
The average life of an AC unit is 10-15 years; if you maintain it well, you can extend that a bit.
So, your unit is at least 14 years old. I think it's okay to retrofit or replace it.
Manufacturing a new AC unit is what 5 metric tons of CO2?
Running a new AC unit will be ~2 tons of CO2/year.
A 14-year-old unit that doesn't have the same energy consumption requirements as a new unit I'm sure uses much more than that (depending on the energy source of course)
1 ton of HCFC-22 (R22) has the same impact as 1,810 tons of CO2.
.5kg of R22 leaked ~= 1 ton of CO2, but this is just the warming effect, R22 will also deplate the Ozone.
So you are looking at least 3 tons of CO2/year released by your old busted unit.
So roughly, starting in year 3, it will be more environmentally responsible.
But this is a bad way to look at it; you are going to have to replace the AC unit or retrofit it regardless, so all you are doing is trying to make a case to unnecessarily harm the ozone for a couple of extra years so YOU receive a better value.
@INIT6 This is exactly the kind of critical thinking I'm talking about. It's disappointing that it's so hard to find this kind of discussion about the topic vs. black and white arguments about something that is actually a shade of grey.
Where did you get your estimate for manufacturing the new AC unit? I was trying to look at (for example) Trane's carbon neutrality goals and didn't see numbers that I thought were relevant. Disposal would also be relevant.
Regarding "... so YOU can receive a better value", that's not my goal, and not necessarily true. If you can repair an item for the life expectancy of a new one and do less environmental damage than buying a new one, it's better for the environment.
@INIT6 This is probably as good an estimate as any - a car takes about 8 tons of CO2 to manufacture and recycle. An A/C unit is maybe a 10th of that on the high side (it's about 1/10th the weight). So high estimate of 1 ton to manufacture and recycle.
Other estimates around cost to manufacture a car are in the same range.
As you know, we are in the process of working out what the best car is for our family, and for the planet. We need to make sure that the car works for how we use it, but also helps our family reduce our carbon footprint so that we can help contribute to tackling climate change. We currently have a hybrid car, but our lease is coming to an end at the end of the year and we want to make the most environmentally friendly decision as to what to get next, especially as ideally we want to keep this car for as long as possible (ten or more years…?) The main decision to make is: full electric car (EV) or plug-in hybrid (PHEV)?
I wasn't nice with the comment, " YOU can receive a better value." My apologies. It felt like you were being selfish, but I think I'm reading too much into it.
I was chatting with ChatGPT and then doing biased Google searches.
GPT said:
small to medium size 1.5 to 2.5 tons,
larger residential/light Commercial was 3 to 5 tons.
I couldn't find an exact source, so I went on the high side after comparing it with other things, like you did with a car.
Also had no idea what size of unit you are looking at.
One thing I learned from this conversation is how much CO2e is required to operate the unit per year. This was pretty surprising.
There is so much bull shit people put into the air, really wished it was regulated a bit better.
So where are you now? Thinking of getting a replacement?
Maybe you can turn the old one into a heat sink for some GPUs
@INIT6 Yeah the challenge is that "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" is the O.G of environmental responsibility. Guidance needs to account for this, otherwise it can sound like just another example of penny-wise, pound-foolish.
Definitely getting a replacement. Refilling just 1lb of R22 has the same carbon impact as the purchase and disposal of a unit.
Lee Holmes 
INIT_6