Freon™ MO99
Refrigerant (R-438A)

Waterton Residential Property
Successfully Implements Cost-Effective
R-22 Retrofit Strategy

Property Details• 936 R-22 units and common buildings• 25-30 year old split systems• 350+ units have been converted so far at
Gulfstream Isles Apartments over five years

Retrofit Highlights“The MO99 retrofit took no longer than changing out
a component for R-22 and charging the system back“Ever since we started converting systems, weare having less than 1/3 the amount of air
conditioning service calls.”“We have rooftop units that are pummeled by thesun for 8+ months…we are having NO problem

up with R-22.”

whatsoever keeping a 20 degree split on a 98

“All of my maintenance techs are sold on it.”here, it’s going to work anywhere!”degree day with high humidity. If MO99 works

Tyler Davidson, Senior Service Manager
Gulfstream Isles Apartments
2013

Freon™ MO99

Refrigerant

Background

Project Details and Results

After several years in the home building, remodeling, andTyler had a unit that was down without refrigerant andmulti-family living industries in Michigan and Washington,without an air handler, so he decided that it would be a good

DC, Tyler Davidson arrived in Fort Myers, FL at Gulfstream

test case. He ordered a new air handler, and once it and theIsles Apartments in 2011 as the Senior Service Manager.

MO99 arrived, he pulled his assistant into his office; theyHe quickly realized that air conditioning maintenance andwatched the YouTube retrofit video again and then tried

service calls were not just something he had to manage forretrofitting their first unit. “It was just like trying to learn

2-3 months out of the year: “Up North, by September, weR-22 for the first time,” Tyler said, “we didn’t just reach down

were usually well out of A/C season; but, down here inand charge it until the lines started sweating. We used ourFlorida, we use air conditioning 11 months out of the year.”gauges, charged it properly, and then kept watching it…12

All of the 936 units at Gulfstream Isles, in addition to theclub houses, leasing office, and laundry facility, werehours, 24 hours, 48 hours...just monitored what the systemdid, and we were really pleased with the results.”

installed 25-30 years ago, and were designed to use R-22

Summarizing the results of his first R-22 system

refrigerant. To add to the property’s challenging demand forconversion, Tyler commented, “The MO99 retrofit took no

air conditioning, shortly after Tyler started at Gulfstream

longer than changing out a component for R-22 andIsles, the EPA started accelerating the phaseout of R-22.

charging the system back up with R-22. We went in the“We had a pretty good history of how much R-22 we needapartment, took our delta T, checked what kind of split weper year, and we are budgeted accordingly. It got to the point

were getting across the coils, and we were easily getting awhere we were basically going to spend double our budget if

20 degree split.”

we stayed on R-22.” While Tyler had experience with using
new R-410A units in his previous work, for his property inResults

Florida, this was not an option. Tyler explained, “There’s justTyler and his team converted over 150 units in the first two

too many things we’d have to change here…it’s not just theyears to MO99. His team kept their supply of recovered

condensing unit and the coil. We have ¼” lines with our R-22

R-22 on hand for any urgent service calls, and once theyunits, and with R-410A running at the pressures it does,

depleted that recovered supply, they would go out and

you’re a lot more likely to blow that line if you have even the

proactively convert a few more R-22 systems. By planningslightest nick in it. So, if we wanted to go with R-410A units,

their retrofits in this way, they always maintained a small

we would have had to bump up the line size, which would

amount of recovered R-22 on-hand, without relying on thehave required us pulling chases up the buildings…

availability or the price volatility of virgin R-22.

essentially completely remodeling each and every building.”
With the cost of R-22 increasing beyond his budget andthe installation of new R-410A units being cost prohibitive,
Freon™ MO99 (R-438A) refrigerant caught his eye. Tyler
saw that it was listed as an R-22 replacement, and theprice was in line with his budget constraints, so he ordereda cylinder and started searching online for information
about how to use it: “I went on YouTube and just typed inFreon™ in the search engine. The Chemours video came upthat walks through the steps to change an R-22 A/C unit
over to MO99. I thought to myself – this is crazy – thiscan’t be right, it can’t be this easy.”

Freon™ MO99

Refrigerant

Because of his success with MO99, Tyler shared his best

Don echoes the same confidence and commitment topractice and experience with over 100 property andMO99 as his predecessor: “We’ve never had any issues withservice managers at Waterton Residential properties

it, it cools as well as R-22, and it’s saved us a ton of money!

across the country, and many others have since started

As long as you do the recommended component changes,retrofits at their locations.

such as the Schrader valve and filter driers, it will work.”

He emphasizes that there are more benefits to retrofitting
to MO99 than just the refrigerant cost savings,
performance, and ease of conversion: “Honestly, the thing

Don also shared the success they’ve enjoyed with otherproperty managers. He said, “They were blown away with
the information I had.”that I like most about it for me as a manager is that it“You can’t beat it from a cost efficiency. You get to utilize

makes my techs better at HVAC work. Ever since wethe existing equipment without the high cost of R-22!

started converting systems, we are having less than 1/3

Freon™ MO99 is fantastic stuff!”

the amount of air conditioning service calls; just fromhaving the good practice of drawing the systems down,

About Waterton Residentialpressure testing them, and re-charging them with MO99.

Chicago-based Waterton Residential, one of the leading

The techs have developed really good habits in diagnosing

multifamily companies in the nation, is focused on theand re-charging systems. We are not having to go back tooperations and performance of apartment communities inwork on the retrofitted systems. All of my maintenancemultiple markets. With over 20,000 apartment homes, thetechs are sold on it.”

Waterton brand signifies exceptional living experiences, a“We have rooftop units that are pummeled by the sun for 8+months…we are having NO problem whatsoever keeping a20 degree split on a 98 degree day with high humidity. If
MO99 works here, it’s going to work anywhere. It’s reallyeasy to sell, not only to our corporation because of theprice, but to a resident; they can feel the cold air pouring
out of their vents after the retrofit, and when they hear thatthe new refrigerant is also safer for the environment, it’s awin-win situation all the way around.”In 2013, Don Bean took over for Tyler as the property
manager for Gulfstream Isles. Since taking over for Tyler,
his team has converted another 200 units from R-22 to
MO99 and proactively plans to convert 40-50 units eachyear. Don manages seven technicians on site that do
HVAC work, and they’ve continued the training and retrofit
practices that started in 2011. His maintenancetechnicians are amazed that it works as well as R-22, andthere hasn’t been a need to replace any of the units withR-410A systems.

sense of community, and home. Waterton employs
approximately 500 associates, who are committed toachieving the Waterton vision to be THE leader in themultifamily industry. For more information, please visit www.
watertonresidential.com.

Freon™ MO99

Refrigerant

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Replaces: K-27018
C-10257 (1/17)