Every once in a while, the HVAC industry makes a drastic change and there’s an “all-hands on deck” mentality that forces us to brace for what’s coming. Whether it was the Freon phase-out a few years ago or this new refrigerant phase-out, our customers deserve to know exactly what’s happening and why.
Well, here it is—R-410A is officially being phased out by HVAC manufacturers. This isn’t a fluke in the system or some kind of plot against AC owners who already abide by the rules. The phase-out actually makes perfect sense when you break it down.
Today we aim to read the tea leaves and give our customers an idea of why R-410A is being phased out and what could potentially replace it in the near future. For more information on the 2025 refrigerant ban, keep reading!
What Happened to R410A?
Well, nothing really. Manufacturers fully switched to R-410A (also known as Puron) a few years ago in response to the climate impact of Freon. To understand this fully, we need to breakdown how these refrigerants are evaluated and what makes them good or bad.
Freon was a dense, hydrofluorocarbon that was contributing to the greenhouse gas effect and trapping heat in our atmosphere, further escalating the effects of climate change. Puron, on the other hand (R-410A) was a great replacement that was a fraction as dense and just as effective for heating and cooling. Now, we’re looking at the next great leap in refrigerant technology.
R-410A is simply not as efficient or effective as other refrigerants on the market. It’s also just not as environmentally friendly compared to these newer refrigerants, either. Sure, when compared to Freon, R-410A was better, but now compared to refrigerants like R-32 and R-454B, it’s not even close.
The Phase-Out
Starting January 2025, as part of the AIM Act passed by Congress, the EPA will prohibit the manufacturing of new R-410A systems. This means that ACs and heat pumps that run on R-410A will not be designed and built, and only the newer systems with better refrigerants will be replacing existing stock going forward.
The Big Contenders
For now, we urge our customers to invest in an AC or heat pump replacement before prices jump due to the refrigerant change.
What refrigerants are taking the place of R-410A? Let’s see:
- R-32. R-32 is the obvious choice for many manufacturers like Daikin. It’s better for the environment by having a 30% smaller Global Warming Potential (GWP) while also being 10% more efficient. That means new owners of HVAC systems could see a 10% decrease in electricity consumption over time, while they reduce their greenhouse gas footprint by 30%. Great news, right?
- R-454B. This refrigerant is an efficiency powerhouse. It also requires fewer amounts of refrigerant to run an HVAC system, up to 5–10% less refrigerant than similar equipment running R-410A. Its GWP is lower than R-410A as well and it’s closely associated with R-410A, (its name is Puron Advance) so it can help ease the transition away from Puron.
Need more information? Give us a call and ask away!