SMITH SERVICES, INC.
HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING

"Your Comfort is Our #1 Priority!"

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About Smith Services

At Smith Services, we are passionate about providing exceptional heating, air conditioning and indoor air quality services to our customers in Vero Beach, Indian River Shores, Sebastian, Palm Bay, Melbourne, Port Saint Lucie, Fort Pierce, Stuart, Palm City, and surrounding areas. Our team of experienced technicians is dedicated to ensuring your home and business stays comfortable and healthy year-round.

URGENT NOTICE

On January 1st, 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will mandate that new HVAC systems use refrigerants with a lower global warming potential (GWP) than R-410A, the current standard refrigerant. The new refrigerants will be R-32 and R-454B, which are classified as low GWP refrigerants.

The Negative Impact of the Refrigerant Mandate:

Up to 30% increased cost for new HVAC systems
Manufacturers will face higher production costs as units with lower GWP refrigerants require new designs, parts, and safety features. Homeowners may see up to 30% higher prices for new HVAC systems.
Supply chain disruptions
Transitioning to new refrigerants and parts may cause disruptions to availability, leading to delays and shortages.
Retrofit challenges
Existing HVAC systems may need retrofitting to be compatible with new refrigerants. This can be expensive and technically challenging.

Our Expert Advice on the Best Time to Buy a New Air Conditioner:

We recommend purchasing a new air conditioner with the old standard R-410A refrigerant if your AC system is over 10 years old and you've been considering an upgrade. There are a few reasons for this:
- First, your AC will cost you about 30% less than a similar model with the new refrigerant.
- Second, after July 2024, R-410A models are going to become more difficult, if not impossible, to find due to production scale-downs.
- You can have peace of mind in knowing that the R-410A refrigerant is "tried and true." We advise a wait-and-see approach, giving the industry time to adapt to the new R-454B refrigerant (and shake out any bugs should they occur).
If your AC is under 10 years old, you're happy with its performance, and you're still expecting many years of serviceable life from it, then we recommend waiting to upgrade until it becomes necessary to do so. By the time you need a new AC, the R-454B refrigerant won't be so new anymore and hopefully any kinks will have been resolved. To make sure your current system lasts as long as possible, be sure to keep up with regular maintenance and consider a planned maintenance agreement.