The answer: No. Putting R-410A refrigerant into an AC unit that was designed to use R-22 will cause the unit to die soon after it tries to run.
Mixing refrigerants is not an option either. This will contaminate the system, and the R22 will not evaporate under the higher suction pressure that R410A requires.
You cannot just switch refrigerants because R410-A and R-22 have different chemical properties. R410-A operates at a higher pressure. If you put R410-A into an R-22 system, the parts will rupture due to the increased force.
When you replace an air conditioner or heat pump and upgrade from R-22 to R-410A, the ideal solution is to replace your refrigerant lines. This is because the mineral oil used in R-22 systems is not compatible with the new R-410A refrigerant and oil.
The operational pressure of the refrigerant R410A becomes higher compared to R22. In the worst case, a lack of compressive strength may lead to piping explosion.
R-22 uses simple mineral oil, non-toxic, safe, stable, etc. while R-410a uses a somewhat exotic Poly o Ester (POE) oil typically found in jet turbine engines. The refrigerant used MUST match the oil present in the system, which is one reason why you can't replace the R-22 with R410a in a system.
How much will an R-22 to R-410A conversion cost? The actual cost will depend on many things, including where you live, but most of the time R-22 conversions start at around $2,000 and go up from there. The higher end of that range is somewhere around $4,500 to $4,600.
If you use R-22 in the same system as R-410a, the compressor is going to be trying to work two different fluids through the same coils as both refrigerants respond differently to different mechanical situations. As you might imagine, this isn't going to go well for your air conditioner or heat pump.
To retrofit an R-22 system with R-410A system your line set must not be more than 25-50 feet in total distance. If the line set is longer than this, you will have to replace the line set with larger lines.
RS-53 (R470A) is a new non-flammable Drop-in replacement for R410A with a low Global Warming Potential (GWP) less than half that of R410A. RS-53 (R470A) has a similar thermodynamic performance to R410A with matching energy efficiency and cooling capacity.
Never mix refrigerants, or "top off" a system running on R-22 with a 400-Series blend. Once the R-22 is removed and the new refrigerant is charged into the unit, the system can be topped off with the new refrigerant.
Understanding the Current HVAC Refrigerant Guidelines
Most HVAC brands have started to swap out their older AC and heat pump units over the year, preparing for the 2025 deadline, when they will have to completely stop the production of systems with R-410A.
The refrigerants have very different heat-transfer properties and use chemically incompatible lubricating oils, so they aren't interchangeable and can't be mixed. Transitioning one unit to the next could require replacing the compressor, evaporator and condenser, along with potentially replacing their copper lines.
The answer is an undeniable and indisputable yes. Though you may hear several opinions to the contrary, we know from experience that it will cool equally as well as the old unit. When tuned properly, it will produce at least as cold of air as the R22 counter part being replaced.
Coils fitting these descriptions would need to be replaced. But for most R-22 coils designed for light commercial applications, i.e., ½” OD tubes and smaller with wall thicknesses of . 014" and above, are sufficient for the operating pressure of R-410A systems.
A NJ Tech Explains. The answer: No. Putting R-410A refrigerant into an AC unit that was designed to use R-22 will cause the unit to die soon after it tries to run.
You can't mix refrigerants.
Deciding whether to install a new refrigerant line set during an HVAC installation is kind of like getting a new range. If your existing line set meets manufacturer specifications for the new HVAC system, you can usually reuse it. But if it doesn't meet those specifications, you'll probably need a new one.
In fact, R410A can cool a room slightly faster with less energy. Efficient performance is a significant benefit of R410A. However, it works the same way as R22 in absorbing heat to provide cooling. But R410A doesn't make a room any colder than its predecessor.
R32 is not suitable as a drop-in replacement for R410A and must only be used in systems specifically designed for R32.
So what the manufacturer recommends, the best option, is if you're going to go from an R22 unit to an R410 unit, that you should have your line set replaced at the same time. So everything is new. There's no contamination, there's no possibility of contamination.
Can I replace R22 with R410a? No, it is not advised that you replace R22 with R410A for a few reasons: Most older systems that use R22 also employ a mineral oil that does not work well with any other type of refrigerant.
It lined out a timeline to change the industry standard to a non-HFC refrigerant by January 1st, 2025. The American Innovation and Manufacturing Act (AIM) of 2020, which was signed by President Trump, cemented r410a's fate by mandating the EPA to reduce the production of HFCs by 85% over the next 15 years.