Refrigerants
Hope everyone is having a good 2024 so far! Wanted to go over refrigerants a little bit just based on what has been coming up recently. A lot of people say to us that R-22 is illegal now and /or they are being charged incredible prices for it. I wanted to break this down a bit for everyone so they understand the current situation and where we are going with it.
R-22: Its NOT illegal to buy to use it. All manufacturers have stopped building HVAC units that use R-22 as 2020. It can no longer be imported or produced in the United States any more. All existing R-22 on the market is still available. Whatever is left in the market will go down and eventually disappear at some point. I'll attach an article from Trane and Goodman that you can also check out. https://www.trane.com/residential/en/resources/glossary/what-is-r22/
R-410A: The new/old refrigerant is now also being phased out due to Ozone layer depletion levels. In 2025 all HVAC units will not be using this anymore. It will be able to be purchased still but if you need to change a unit in 2025 or after you will most likely need a full change out. It will most likely follow R-22 in that there will be no more import or production of it in the United States. Here is the Carrier article on R-410A. https://www.carrierenterprise.com/hvac-news/what-to-know-about-the-r410-refrigerant-phase-out
R-32/R-454B: These are the new type of refrigerants that will be pushed by the EPA. We have yet to see which refrigerant will take most of the market but it will change. This new refrigerant will be technically flammable. It will take a lot to light it but still rated flammable. The main thing HVAC professionals will need to be aware of with A2L refrigerants is that they are somewhat flammable; while it does require a high level of energy to ignite an A2L refrigerant, HVAC professionals will need to be properly trained and educated on how to avoid potential mishaps. I'm sure there will be tons of safety components installed on the units to make them safe for everyone. Here is a link to Daikin on R-32.
So there you have it on the current situation of refrigerants. R-22 and 401A will still be available for a while. Although will keep getting more expensive as time goes on. We actually do not stock R-22 anymore. So if you have a leak or need a new compressor that uses R-22 I would prepare for replacement.
There are a lot of new changed coming to this industry in a big way. It is far from over and I will definitely try to keep up on everything. Of course you can always call or email us and ask questions and we will do our best to answer them all. Hope everyone has a good rest of your 2024!
