In 2020, the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act was enacted into law, which authorizes a 15-year phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) across of a variety of applications. This will have a massive impact on the HVACR industry, notably because R410a, (the prominent refrigerant of today) is an HCFC or a hydrochlorofluorocarbon.

There will be two refrigerants that will be available for all new HVAC equipment starting in 2025 for residential and light commercial use: R454B and R32. These refrigerants are being mandated because they have a much lower GWP or “Global Warming Potential”. The old favorite, R22, which was phased out in 2020 has a GWP of 1810. R410 which has been prominent for the past 20 years and was used to phase out R22 has a GWP of 2088. The allowable limit of GWP will be 700 by 2025. The new refrigerants are referred to as A2L (non-toxic, flammable, and low burning velocity).

Navigating these quicky approaching changes will be difficult for anyone thinking of replacing their systems in 2025 or after. It will be especially difficult for HVAC contractors since the industry has failed dramatically in informing and educating the contractors about these changes. We (HVAC contractors) have been begging for information since we were made aware of this change in late 2022 but our requests have fallen on deaf ears so far.

Here is what we DO know from gathering information from various manufacturer and government websites:

• We will be allowed to sell and install all R410a equipment that is manufactured in 2024. That stock should be available until mid-2025 while supplies last.
• The new refrigerants are mildly flammable. Despite their mildly flammable classification, A2L refrigerants are extremely hard to ignite. Extensive testing with A2Ls and numerous heat sources including cigarettes, lighters, power drills, and various household appliances has been done, and no heat source produced ignition.
• There will be two distinct variations of the AL2 refrigerants available for residential HVAC use: R32 and R454b. Daikin and all of its subsidiaries including Amana and Goodman have committed to using R32. Also, many dehumidifier brands have committed to R32 such as Honeywell, AprilAire, Dri-Eaz and Quest. Most of the other brands have committed to using R454b such as Carrier, Bryant, Trane, American Standard, Lennox, Ruud, Rheem, Nortek, York and all of the sub-brands of these manufacturers. These two refrigerants are not interchangeable and will add an extra layer of confusion for the homeowner. We do not yet know what damage (if any) will occur if they are cross contaminated.
• There will be cost increases but we do not know how much as of yet. There have been rumors it could be as much as 40%; we are expecting between 10% and 30%. Fortunately for us, we are a Ruud dealer. Ruud redesigned their equipment in 2023 as a result of the DOE regulations that were put into effect that required a minimum efficiency increase of 8-10%. During this redesign they anticipated the AL2 changes and altered the equipment, with a few minor changes during manufacturing they will easily accommodate R454b refrigerants without a complete redesign.  Many of the other manufacturers did not have this foresight and it may result in some shortages come the second quarter of 2025.

As with all big changes, there will be some glitches and bugs that have to be worked out. We saw this in the late 90s when R410a was introduced into the market. My advice to anyone looking to replace your HVAC equipment anytime soon is to do it now before the new equipment and price increases hit.