What is the best refrigerant for air conditioners?

Author: Adrianna Howe  |  Last update: Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Which Type of Refrigerant Is Right for Your Home? With all of the different refrigerants on the market, it can be difficult to understand which one will ultimately benefit you in the long run. Most HVAC technicians will agree that the R-410 A is one of the best refrigerants on the market.

Which AC refrigerant is best?

Efficiency: R410A is a more efficient refrigerant than R22. Air conditioners that use R410A refrigerant typically have higher Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) ratings than those that use.

How long will R-410A be available?

R-410A PHASE-DOWN TIMELINE

We will reach a 70% decrease by 2029. In 2034, we will see 80% less R-410A being produced than it is today, and the phase-down will end in 2036 with another 5% reduction.

What cools better, R-32 or R-410A?

R-32 has a higher pressure ratio than R-410A. Basically, a higher pressure ratio means the refrigerant can cool more with less refrigerant, which also means less electricity is required for the system to cool your home.

What is the most efficient refrigerant for air conditioners?

R-32 conveys heat more efficiently than other refrigerants and can reduce the consumption of electricity. It also has a GWP that is 1/3 that of R-410A and an ozone depletion potential of 0, making it much more enticing option for use in HVAC systems.

Refrigerants 410a OUT! R32 IN! Here's Why!

What is the most preferred refrigerant?

R-134a refrigerant, also known as Tetrafluoroethane, is a popular choice for commercial refrigeration systems due to its low toxicity and non-flammability. It is commonly used in medium- and high-temperature applications, such as refrigerators, air conditioning units, and chillers.

Does R-22 work better than R-410A?

At the 27.8 °C (82.0 °F) rating point, the R410A system capacity was approximately 2 % greater than that of the R22 system. As the outdoor temperature increased, the capacity of the R410A system decreased more rapidly than the R22 system capacity, and at the 54.4 °C (130.0 °F) test point was 9 % below the R22 value.

Can I replace R410A with R32?

No. R32 is not suitable as a drop-in replacement for R410A and must only be used in systems specifically designed for R32.

What are the disadvantages of R32 refrigerant?

Disadvantages:Different from R22 and R410A, the R32 is slightly flammable. But combustion will not occur unless three critical conditions are met, refrigerant concentration, constant oxygen, and an ignition source. In real practice, it's hard to meet all the combustion conditions.

Can I use the same copper piping when replacing my AC unit with R22 to R32 refrigerant?

If the refrigerant used for the existing unit is other than R22, R407C and R410A, the existing refrigerant piping cannot be used. If the existing unit has another use than air conditioning, then existing refrigerant piping cannot be used.

What refrigerant are they replacing 410A with?

The replacements for R-410A are the two A2Ls, Forane® R-32 and R-454B. Forane® R-32 can be used in new equipment designed specifically for mildly flammable refrigerants as a replacement for R-410A equipment. Its low density allows for the use of a smaller refrigerant charge.

What is a fair price for R-410A refrigerant?

Currently, the price for recharging an air conditioning system with R-410A is around $90 per pound.

How much does it cost to convert R-22 to R-410A?

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.

What is the newest refrigerant for home AC?

R-454B is the newest refrigerant, which will gradually replace R-410A, the refrigerant used in current HVAC manufacturing. R-454B is a blend of R-32, a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC), and R-1234yf a hydrofluoroolefin (HFO). R-454B has a lower GWP than previous refrigerants, meaning it has a much lower climate impact.

What is the most expensive refrigerant for air conditioners?

Air Conditioner Freon Refill Cost Guide
  • Refill AC Unit Service – $250 to $4,759.
  • R410a – $90 to $120 per pound.
  • R22 – $200 to $250 per pound.

Which refrigerant has highest refrigeration efficiency?

Ammonia surpasses HFC/HCFC refrigerants in terms of performance as it provides the same cooling with lower power consumption and system costs. Ammonia has high latent heat that permits the use of small-sized liquid line pipes, eventually reducing the system volume of refrigerant required.

Why is R32 refrigerant banned?

Changes to the Dangerous Goods Legislation, effective in 2021, has new categories for A2L refrigerants. R32 is a synthetic greenhouse gas. If released to the atmosphere it can contribute to climate change. R32 is a flammable refrigerant.

Which AC gas is best?

R-32THE MOST BALANCED REFRIGERANT.

What is the new refrigerant for 2025?

What refrigerant will replace R-410A in 2025? For whole-home systems, Lennox has chosen 2025 Compliant Refrigerant R-454B due to its excellent performance for ducted systems and zero ozone depletion potential. For mini-splits, we selected R-32, designed to optimize efficiency and reliability in ductless systems.

Will there be a drop-in replacement for R410A?

ComStar's RS-53 (R470A) is the world's only drop-in retrofit replacement for existing R410a systems.

Do you need a special vacuum pump for R32?

You will, of course, need to ensure that any equipment you use includes an R32 compliant recovery unit, an R32 specific vacuum pump, a torque wrench set to the manufacturer's recommendations on your flare joints and for pipework, stick to material that is R410A rated, as this also suitable for R32.

Can anyone buy R32 refrigerant?

Only Section 608 certified technicians can purchase refrigerants intended for use with stationary refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment.

What happens if you put 410A in a R-22 system?

The pressure can become high enough for parts of the system to rupture. At the very least, leaks will occur.

When was R-22 banned?

In 2010, the U.S. stopped the sale of newly manufactured residential air conditioning units and heat pumps that use R-22 because of its particularly harmful impact on the ozone layer when released into the air. On January 1, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned the production and import of R-22.

What is the best replacement for R-410A?

RS-53 (R470A) has similar cooling capacity, energy efficiency, discharge pressure, discharge temperature and mass flow as R410A and consequently an excellent choice to replace R410A.

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