Refrigerants and the rules

Refrigerants are useful inside the sealed loop but harmful when they escape. The EPA says R-410A and similar replacement refrigerants do not harm the ozone layer but do add to climate change, so they need careful handling to avoid releases. The risks of refrigerants in cooling equipment can include toxicity, flammability, suffocation and physical hazards.

For that reason, federal law keeps refrigerant in the system. Under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act, EPA rules forbid anyone from knowingly venting ozone-depleting refrigerants such as R-22, or substitutes such as R-410A, while maintaining, servicing, repairing or disposing of AC and refrigeration equipment. Before central home air conditioning is taken apart for disposal, its refrigerant must be recovered.

Source: U.S. EPA

R-22, also called HCFC-22, is the refrigerant in many older systems, and it can still be used to service existing equipment. Since January 1, 2020, no new R-22 has been made in or imported into the US, but used R-22 cleaned to the same standard as new continues to be available. After 2020, only recycled, reclaimed or previously made R-22 can be used to service existing equipment. The EPA expects that supply to last well after 2020, but its price and availability may change.

You do not have to replace a working system just because of its refrigerant. There is no EPA requirement to buy a new system or convert an existing R-22 unit to another refrigerant. You can no longer buy a new central AC unit that uses R-22, but you can keep servicing your existing one. Other refrigerants will not work well without changes to system parts, so technicians repairing leaks will most often recharge with R-22. R-410A cannot simply go into an R-22 indoor coil because of the difference in pressures, and it is not an approved retrofit for R-22 systems.

Source: U.S. EPA

A second set of rules covers the refrigerants that came after it. Beginning January 1, 2025, certain products may no longer use high global warming potential refrigerants, and the ban covers making, selling and installing them, including new systems that use them. For home air conditioning and heat pump systems, the EPA's global warming potential limit is 700 and the date is January 1, 2025. For systems whose specified parts were all made or imported before January 1, 2025, there is no installation deadline.

If your system is already installed, you can keep it. You can keep repairing your existing air conditioner or heat pump, including replacing a major part such as the outdoor condensing unit or the compressor. R-410A outdoor units, indoor coils, air handlers and other parts can still be sold to service existing R-410A systems. Such parts made after January 1, 2025, must be labeled for servicing existing equipment only. Replacing both the outdoor unit and the indoor coil counts as installing a new system, even if the old refrigerant lines stay.

New systems use newer refrigerants. ENERGY STAR asks makers to report the refrigerant a heat pump uses, giving HFC-32 and R-454B as examples. When choosing between repair and a new system with a lower-impact refrigerant, the EPA suggests weighing parts availability, energy efficiency and total maintenance costs. Ask your technician which refrigerant a new system uses and how it is handled safely.

Source: U.S. EPA · ENERGY STAR

Refrigerant work is limited to certified technicians. EPA rules under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act require technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerant to be certified. They must pass an EPA-approved test for the type of equipment they work on, and the certification does not expire. The work it covers includes attaching hoses and gauges to measure pressure and adding or removing refrigerant. Adding or removing refrigerant from a mini-split during installation, or connecting pre-charged lines, also requires Section 608 certification.

The sale of refrigerant is restricted too. Only Section 608 certified technicians can buy refrigerants meant for home and other stationary air conditioning equipment. The EPA advises working with dealers whose technicians are certified to handle refrigerants. If someone offers to add refrigerant, it is fair to ask about their certification.

Source: U.S. EPA

Some products have been sold as stand-ins for the older refrigerant. The EPA says R-22a has been falsely marketed as R-22 or an R-22 replacement, when it is a hydrocarbon blend made mainly of flammable gases such as propane and butane. Because an R-22 system has no safety features for a flammable refrigerant, R-22a can burn or explode if enough collects in one space and meets a source of ignition.

These products are not legal in home central air. EPA rules list products sold as 22a as unacceptable for retrofitting home split air conditioners and heat pumps, the units usually called central air. The EPA has not found any flammable hydrocarbon refrigerant acceptable for existing systems designed for R-22. In one settlement with the EPA, a company in Pekin, Illinois agreed to pay a $300,000 civil penalty and stop selling unapproved flammable refrigerants as substitutes. If you think R-22a or another hydrocarbon refrigerant was put in your air conditioner, the EPA recommends contacting your local fire department for guidance.

Source: U.S. EPA

A refrigerant leak is worth finding rather than refilling. The EPA says major leaks rarely develop in properly installed and regularly maintained units, and that if yours leaks, you should ask your technician to locate and repair the leak instead of topping it off. A leak inspection is an examination to find where refrigerant is escaping. Methods include ultrasonic tests, gas-imaging cameras, bubble tests and electronic leak detectors.

The federal leak repair requirement is aimed at larger equipment. The EPA requires leaks above a certain size to be repaired in equipment holding 50 pounds of refrigerant or more. It gives home split systems as an example of appliances holding 5 to 50 pounds. Even so, fixing a leak keeps your system working at its best and cuts refrigerant releases and energy use. If your equipment is more than 10 years old or not keeping your house comfortable, the EPA recommends having a professional evaluate it.

Source: U.S. EPA