06/10/2026
Willie Mallard
Gold Star HVACR
4341 Daisy Drive
Madison Wisconsin 53711
1-608-259-0913 new cell phone number
Hello,
I wanted to provide you with a new contact phone number to get ahold of me directly with air conditioning and furnace service you may need. The new number is 1-608-259-0913. It is best to text message me for sevice requests because the amount of spam calls I recieve, I am able to respond to you faster. And many times reception is a problem depending on my location i.e in a basement. Another option if needed would be my email which is [email protected].
Another issue I'd like to share with you would be the cost of repacement of equipment concerning the new refrigerant phaseout of 2026.
Quotes that I have recieved from equipment suppliers have quadrupled for the new R454b and R32 refrigerants. Now if you need a new ac system you will also have to upgrade your furnace to be able to operate this new equipment because you need a control board and an additional piece of equipment called a refrigerant leak mitagation sensor ($450.00 part only). how it works is if you spring a leak the sensor shuts the furnace air handler down and will operate the blower motor only with no cooling effect and if detected in the winter the control does the same, and will not allow the furnace to operate in heat mode. Why all this matters? Our government has now required you to put a mildly flammable refrigerant in your home! To save the planet they say. I say it's a lobbyist money grab from the equipment manufactures. I'd like to share another problem. All tools are now in left handed treads to work with these new refrigerants. Remember righty tighty lefty loosey? Well it's backwards now, requireing and forceing service technichains to purchase a whole new set of air conditioning tools to install and service this new equipment. Total cost as I've found is $3700.00 replacement cost!
Attached next is what I gathered from the internet regarding this issue here in Wisconsin.
Replacing AC equipment in Wisconsin in 2026 involves navigating a mandatory shift to A2L low-GWP refrigerants (like R-32/R-454B), which are mildly flammable and require specialized technician training and new installation safety codes. Higher upfront equipment costs, lack of retrofitting options for old R-410A systems, and potential local code bottlenecks are key challenges.
Key 2026 HVAC Replacement Issues in Wisconsin
Mandatory Refrigerant Transition: By 2026, new systems must use lower-GWP refrigerants. R-410A systems are phased out, making future repairs on old units more expensive.
A2L Safety Compliance: New refrigerants are "mildly flammable," requiring new safety sensors, updated installation standards (UL 60335), and trained, certified technicians.
Rising Costs: Expect higher equipment prices due to new technology, material costs, and installation complexities.
No Retrofit Option: You cannot convert an existing R-410A system to a new refrigerant; a full system replacement is required if a major leak occurs.
Local Code Delays: Wisconsin jurisdictions must adopt updated building codes to handle the new equipment, which could lead to permit delays.
Supply and Demand: While supply chain issues are stabilizing, early 2026 may still see tight inventory for specific high-efficiency models, necessitating earlier planning and, in some cases, considering high-efficiency heat pumps.
Wisconsin-Specific Considerations
Because of the heavy demands on systems, from intense summers to cold winters, proper sizing (Manual J calculation) is critical for efficiency in 2026. The market is shifting towards variable speed air handlers for better humidity control.
Finally what can you do to extend the life of your eqipment?
If you have a older model R22 ac systems, best of luck to you! For all others that have upgraded their equipment to R410a systems, there are plenty of things you can do to preserve the life of your equipment and still manintain energy efficent reliable cooling.
1) clean your equipment regular, once a year is fine for ac's, Bi yearly for furnace's, return air duct filter rack twice a year. Remember the furnace fan motor runs year around for heating and cooling, and is subseptiable to build up of dirt on the blower fan blades causing reduced air flow and stress on the motors spinning the fan blade to heat up and short out. Average part only cost for a new ECM blower motor is $900.00!
2) Area around the outdoor ac condenser should be kept clean of debris, tall vegetation blocking airflow and mulch should not touch the metal of the condenser. you are preventing over heating of your condenser fan motor and compressor. Remember as I have always said " dirt is a insulator and will not allow proper heat disapation. Making equipment work harder to achive the same goal as properly maintained eqipment.
3)Check refrigerant charge. Is the unit charged to the correct amount the manufacure details on the eqipment name plate? Is the charge low? if so there is a leak somewhere. Is there to much refrigerant? If so, you have had a service techniction cut corners or is just plain not skilled for this job. In the case of a leak I'd suggest pulling the charge and checking for the location of the leak. Repair the leak and run a proper pressure test.
4) Inject a UV dye and leak sealer combonation to prevent smaller miro leaks. If you have a leak and can not find the location, your leak maybe in the refrigerant lineset. Lineset are the bundle of 2 copper pipe lines ruuning from the indoor evaporator coil to and attached to the outdoor ac condenser. The UV dye helps in locationing leaks with a UV light.
5) Inspect and replace your outdoor ac condenser capascitor. The capascitor is a motor starting device common on all equipment. By another name it is called " a compressor killer". If this capascitor is weak or goes bad it causes the ac compressor not to turn over and do it's job of pumping cold refrigerant and lubercating oil through the system. cold refrigerant keeps the compressor cool, heat just the same in a car if it over heats it seizes up and is ruined.
That's it! Simple enough, and cost effective.
This is free advise offered to you, but please share with your family and friends as they may not be aware of issues ahead.
Appeciate your time and reach out anytime for proper heating and cooling service.
Thank you,
Willie Mallard of Gold Star HVACR
Enjoy your spring!
