CoolMatt
And now you’ve stumbled upon the debate that us air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics are all participating in. Refrigerants right now have some sort of danger.
R-22 has an ozone depletion potential. It has clhlorine atoms that break up ozone in the atmosphere, and it’s been discontinued in 2020.
R-410A has flourine atoms, so has no ozone depletion potential but has a global warming potential, like CO2. It’s the current refrigarant for air conditioners and heat pumps, next to be phased out when we find a better replacement.
Ammonia is natural and not harmful for the environment, but flammable and toxic in high concentrations. Lucky for you, most air conditioning or residential/commercial refrigeration systems don’t use it, it’s only large scale industrial refrigaration, like fisheries, ice cream and yogurt factories, etc.
Some say the hydro companies are pushing heat pumps to make more money. They also require more maintenance than a furnace, which also cost $$. Change your filters, and have your electrical components checked at least once per year and your system be happier in the long run and you’ll save on break downs and repairs.
Me, I just try to do a good job, practice good workmanship to make sure my installs and the equioment I maintain don’t leak or break. That’s how I’m doing my part for the planet
We’re constantly trying to do better and be better, it’s just a long process.
Small correction, no motor runs backward. You can’t reverse the flow through a compressor, so heat pumps have a reversing valve that slides back and forth to reverse the flow of refrigerant in the system.