What You Need to Know About HVAC Refrigerants
If you’ve purchased an HVAC system in the last year, you may have heard about a change in the type of refrigerant used in the system. To serve as a guide, EnerChange outlines the key need to know points about refrigerants in your HVAC systems:
Refrigerant is the fluid inside your HVAC system that typically cools your building by extracting heat energy from inside the building, moving it through piping, and rejecting it outside. In heat pump technology, the cycle is reversed, providing heat indoors by extracting it from the outdoors. While typically out of sight – out of mind, refrigerants have a direct impact on system performance, maintenance costs, and the environment.
One major consideration with old HVAC systems is the cost of refrigerants and fugitive emissions. As older refrigerants are phased out due to environmental regulations, they are no longer produced, reducing availability and increasing prices. “Re-charging” a cooling system with a phased-out refrigerant becomes significantly more expensive. Additionally, “fugitive emissions” or the leaking of refrigerant into the atmosphere, is a cause of climate change. HVAC equipment is designed to operate with a specific refrigerant and typically cannot be converted to newer options, leading to refrigerant changes being addressed when equipment is replaced.
Chemical Makeup and Environmental Impacts:
HCFCs (Hydrochlorofluorocarbons) are an older class of refrigerants that contain chlorine, which can damage the Earth’s ozone layer when leaked into the atmosphere. The ozone layer protects against harmful UV radiation, so substances that contribute to its depletion pose serious risks. Because of this harm, HCFC refrigerants will no longer be able to be produced or imported by 2030. While servicing is still allowed, repairing systems with this refrigerant will become increasingly more expensive as 2030 approaches.
HFCs (Hydrofluorocarbons) were developed to replace HCFCs and do not contain chlorine, meaning they have no ozone depletion potential (ODP). While this is an improvement, many HFCs are highly effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere which means that they have a high global warming potential (GWP). Under the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act, a law enacted in 2020, HFCs are now being phased down, which limits production over time and encourages the transition to safer alternatives with lower global warming potential.
HFO (Hydrofluoroolefins) are a next-generation, environmentally friendly class of synthetic refrigerants with no ozone depletion potential and a low global warming potential. These may be blended with HFCs to improve environmental performance.
Common Refrigerant Comparisons:
R-22 (“Freon”) is a widely-known HCFC refrigerant used prior to 2010. It provides moderate efficiency, meaning it requires more energy to transfer heat compared to modern refrigerants. R-22 has both high ozone depletion potential (ODP) and high global warming potential (GWP), which led to its phaseout. The use of R-22 in new equipment was banned in 2010, and production and import ended in 2020. Because it is no longer manufactured, only recycled or reclaimed, available supplies continue to shrink, making it increasingly expensive.
R-410A (“Puron”) R-410A began replacing R-22 as the standard around 2010. As an HFC refrigerant, it eliminated ozone depletion. It also significantly improved heat transfer efficiency, which allows systems to use less electricity to heat and cool. However, as an HFC, R-410A still has a high global warming potential. As of 2020, it is now being phased out.
R-32 is a high efficiency HFC refrigerant with a lower global warming potential than R-410A. It improves heat transfer efficiency by approximately 20 percent, leading to reduced energy consumption and operating costs.
R-454B is a newer blend of HFC and HFO refrigerants designed to replace R-410A that provides comparable, and in some cases improved, efficiency. It has zero ozone depletion potential and significantly lower global warming potential, making it one of the primary refrigerants being adopted as the new HVAC standard in 2026.
| Refrigerant Type | Global Warming Potential (GWP) | Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) | Efficiency |
| R-22 | 1,810 | High | Medium |
| R-410A | 2,088 | 0 | High |
| R-454B | 465 | 0 | High |
| R-32 | 675 | 0 | Very High |
Timeline:
- Before 2010:
- R-22 (Freon) is the most common refrigerant
- 2010:
- Shift to R-410A
- New R-22 systems banned by EPA Clean Air Act
- 2020:
- Production and import of R-22 stops
- The US AIM Act begins the phaseout of HFC refrigerants
- 2024:
- Transition to R-454B & R-32 begins
- 2025:
- Last year R-410A systems can be manufactured
- 2026:
- Last year new R-410A systems can be installed
Considerations for building owners:
- Efficiency:
Newer refrigerants allow HVAC systems to run more efficiently, using less electricity. Over time, this can lower utility bills and reduce operating expenses.
- Rising Refrigerant Costs:
As R-22 and R-410A production continues to decline, these refrigerants will become increasingly expensive and difficult to obtain. Selecting modern refrigerants now helps avoid escalating repair and replacement costs in the future.
- System Longevity and Reliability:
Systems designed for newer refrigerants often have better performance and longer lifespans.
- Sustainability:
Refrigerants with lower global warming potential minimize greenhouse gas fugitive emissions and reduce your building’s carbon footprint.
Summary:
There’s been a lot of progress over the years curtailing the environmental effects of refrigerants in HVAC systems. The key takeaway for building owners is, as old refrigerants are phased out, systems that rely on them become more expensive to maintain. Working with your HVAC vendor to ensure your system doesn’t have recurring leaks is the best way to manage cost and environmental impact in the short term. In the long term, most refrigerant choices are regulated, so purchasing new systems will have refrigerants with less environmental impact.
As always, if you’re planning an HVAC improvement project, connect with EnerChange to see what system is best for your needs. We’ll help capture any incentives that are available to you.