ARI says that the proposed conversion would reduce the efficiency of central air conditioners and heat pumps at a huge cost to millions of Texas homeowners and businesses.

A trade association representative speaking on behalf of contractors in Texas to the TNRCC in a recent meeting said, “No one should have to make a decision affecting millions of people in the state who will be forced to pay a huge increase in cost for equipment for an experiment that may not work at all.” The TNRCC said that, under pressure from the EPA (which is seeking compliance with the Clean Air Act requirements), it is considering mandating ozone reduction in ambient air by air conditioner condensing coils. This comes despite the fact that air conditioners do not emit pollutants that result in ozone formation.

ARI said, “We are concerned that after our members have spent literally hundreds of hours reviewing the documents provided by the commission, there is no real evidence that any ozone reduction process for air conditioning equipment will provide the benefits claimed by a manufacturer.”

Publication date: 10/09/2000