2025 REFRIGERANT TRANSITION:
UNDERSTANDING A2L REFRIGERANTS
WHY REPLACE HFC REFRIGERANTS WITH A2L REFRIGERANTS?
Refrigerants’ Global Warming Potential by Type
Rising levels of greenhouse gases have driven new environmental goals. To lower the carbon footprint of the overall HVAC industry, companies are switching to mildly flammable A2L refrigerants, such as R454B AND R32, to replace hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants. A2Ls have a far lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) than HFCs (see graph below). And they aren’t new to the industry, they are key components used in refrigerants today.
* Per the sixth assessment report form the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), R-32 has a GWP of 771. However, the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act, which regulates HFCs at the federal level, still uses the GWP measurements from the fourth IPCC report. This currently allows R-32 to stay within the 750 cutoff generally accepted as the minimum GWP value for low-GWP refrigerants used in air conditioning.
Refrigerants’ Global Warming Potential by Type
Rising levels of greenhouse gases have driven new environmental goals. To lower the carbon footprint of the overall HVAC industry, companies are switching to mildly flammable A2L refrigerants, such as R454B AND R32, to replace hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants. A2Ls have a far lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) than HFCs (see graph below). And they aren’t new to the industry, they are key components used in refrigerants today.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR PROS?
Selecting a lower GWP refrigerant to replace R410A prepares our equipment for future refrigerant regulations even after 2025. Switching to A2L refrigerants now means fewer major product changes as we move forward. And our products will continue to be simple to install and easy to service.
WHAT TO KNOW
SPLIT SYSTEMS
NO RESTRICTIONS
through the end of 2025
R410A split products produced in 2024 or prior can be installed with NO RESTRICTIONS through the end of 2025.*
SPLIT SYSTEM COMPONENTS
INSTALLED AS A COMPONENT
after 2025
After 2025, R410A equipment that has already been produced can be INSTALLED AS A COMPONENT, meaning it can be used only to repair an existing system if it meets the regional requirements.*
UPCOMING TRANSITIONS
PACKAGED UNITS
R410A packaged products produced in 2024 or prior can be sold or installed with NO RESTRICTIONS through 2027.*
VRF
VRF products > 65,000 BTU/hr produced in 2025 or prior can be installed through the end of 2026.* Smaller BTU products follow the same rules as split systems.
*Note: This information is subject to change per the EPA and DOE rulings.