What Are the Differences Between Freon and Puron?

28 January 2018

If you are confused about the difference between Freon and Puron, you’re not the only one. Most home and business owners in Colorado Springs are not aware of the differences between these two refrigerant gases. Both are used to provide AC service to your home or business, but Puron is superior in many ways. This discovery was not made until the early 1990s, when scientists determined a positive link between the use of Freon and depletion of the earth’s ozone layers. This is due to the fact that Freon is an oil-based product, whereas Puron is manufactured using synthetic oil.


After the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was informed of the dangers of Freon, it implemented legislation that affects all people who own an air conditioner or heat pump. This legislation required HVAC dealers to stop using Freon when providing AC service to its customers as of January 1, 2010. However, it is not entirely possible to do this since some air conditioners and heat pumps in existence today can only be powered by Freon. Although the Carrier Corporation released air conditioners using only Puron as early as 1996, it took a while for the HVAC industry as a whole to catch up with this trend. In response, the EPA has extended time when only Puron must be used till January 1, 2020. After that time, it can no longer be imported into the country, sold or used in air conditioners and heat pumps.


This alternative refrigerant gas provides superior energy efficiency and has less of a detrimental effect on the environment. It also provides AC service that is more comfortable for home and business owners in Colorado Springs. We encourage you to consider both the environmental effect and energy efficiency when it comes time to replace the air conditioner or heat pump in your Colorado Springs home or business.

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