6 hours ago
New federal guidelines may cause price of repairing, replacing AC units to rise
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Air conditioning is an essential part of life for many in the Las Vegas valley and for those fortunate enough to have it, not having it can be cause for some real concern.
'I can't imagine living in Vegas and not having air conditioning,' local, Kaili Bach told 8 News Now.
New federal guidelines are contributing to a nationwide refrigerant shortage that could make repairing or replacing air conditioning units this summer even more of a financial burden. The shortage is primarily due to new regulations mandating the switch to more eco-friendly refrigerants.
James Langley, owner of the HVAC company, 'We Care Air,' said he is very much aware of the new guidelines.
'The mandate is calling for a lower GWP, which is a Global Warming Potential refrigerant. That's what the 454B is. For us, our install guys have to use different installation tools and adjust our pricing. Prices of units have gone up by 30% to 40%,' Langley told with 8 News Now.
In addition to the refrigerant, there's also a lack of the containers it comes in.
'It seems like they don't have enough cylinders made to keep up with the demand of refrigerant that's needed on all the new units,' he added.
For those who have older AC units, the new regulated coolant will not be compatible. For that very reason, Langley said the options are slim for consumers, so in the end they could be shelling out a lot more than intended.
'People are taking advantage of the situation. Let's say, I came to your home and your compressor is out. We can change that compressor, but now there are those who will charge you double because your only alternative is to get a whole new system which is even more,' Langley said.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set the new standards for coolant earlier this year and with a big portion of our inventory coming from China, the nation's trade war is heavily influencing the supply and price.
Langley said if your AC unit still works, there is no need to get a new unit with the mandated refrigerant. The main concern is for those who are having or may have air conditioning issues in the coming months.
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