Heat pumps have refrigerant circulating to heat and cool. Are sellers and installers including a Materials Safety Data Sheet giving the specifications about the refrigerants?
Typical homes with older pumps use R134a; newer ones use R1234ya because R134a was phased out over concerns about its effect on the ozone layer. Most refrigerants, including newer formulations, affect ozone and can have other environmental impacts if a leak develops in the pump’s system. This is a likely reason why your installer recommends a licensed, trained professional to inspect the unit twice per year and ascertain that it is in good working order.
As consumers, we need to inform ourselves of the possible issues concerning these devices, and then make informed decisions based on risk assessment versus what is essentially a mandate from our state government.
Should we think about the downstream effect of unintended consequences, such as accidents, acts of nature, or violence? The tragic accident in East Palestine comes to mind. These gases and chemicals are moved around all over the country from storage to manufacturer to storage to dealer to consumer via container ship, barge, rail, truck. Are our local emergency services ready to handle these possible catastrophes? Are homeowners aware of the dangers of these gases if there were a fire at their home?
Granted, petrochemicals have similar opportunity costs. We have lived with them for more than a century. But the safe-for-the-environment and effective energy conservation messaging have me reassessing.
Joanne Bertrand
Lyndonville