Imminent Refrigerant Changes and the Impacts on Residential Customers

Refrigerant changes.

Costs are Going Up!

Customers need to be aware of the transition from R410a to R454b refrigerants over the next few months in HVAC systems for several reasons. 

  • What: Up to 20-25% increase on new HVAC systems for consumers.
  • Why: New refrigerants offer a lower Global Warming Potential (GWP), making systems more environmentally friendly. 
  • Impact: Manufacturers are predicting up to a 25% price increase in air conditioners and heat pumps. See the offer at the end to beat the increase
  • Safety: New refrigerants are slightly flammable, so new safeties will be required in the equipment and precautions when servicing it.

Now that we have your attention, let’s back up and discuss exactly what is changing.

What is a Refrigerant?

Refrigerants are a key component in residential air conditioners and heat pumps, facilitating the transfer of heat to provide cooling or heating. Refrigerant cycles between a gas and liquid state, absorbing heat from the indoors as it evaporates and releasing the heat outdoors as it condenses. This process allows air conditioners to cool indoor air and heat pumps to warm it.

What is Changing?

Like everything else, change is inevitable in air conditioning and refrigeration. One such imminent change is the transition from R410a to R454b refrigerants, which is expected to have a significant impact on residential customers. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has banned the manufacturing of systems that use R410-A in new air conditioners and heat pumps on January 1, 2025—that’s only months away.

Why is the Refrigerant Change Happening?

The shift from R410a to R454b is primarily driven by environmental concerns. While effective as a refrigerant, R410a has a higher Global Warming Potential (GWP), contributing to climate change. As countries around the world seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transitioning to refrigerants with lower GWPs has become a priority for our government agencies. 

Differences in Refrigerant Characteristics and Their Impact

Apart from environmental considerations, the characteristics of these refrigerants also differ. R410a is non-flammable and non-toxic, making it relatively safe for residential use. In contrast, R454b is mildly flammable and requires careful handling. 

However, it’s important to note that R454b has been designed to meet stringent safety standards, ensuring its suitability for residential applications. A refrigerant with similar characteristics is probably in your current refrigerator. 

New HVAC equipment using R454b will require sensors that detect refrigerant leaks and shut down the unit upon leak detection to protect you and your home.

Equipment Compatibility

According to information from multiple manufacturers, existing air conditioning equipment designed for R410a will not be compatible with R454b components. 

Customers looking to upgrade or replace their HVAC systems may need to invest in new components that are compatible with the new refrigerant. 

How Will the Pricing of HVAC Units be Affected

The shift to R454b will impact pricing. Equipment manufacturers are predicting a 15-20% price increase on all equipment.   See the offer below to beat the increase.

What About My Existing Air Conditioner? 

R410a refrigerant and repair parts will still be available, so we will be able to keep units running. Parts for units under warranty should be available for the life of the manufacturer’s warranty—that’s at least 2034. 

Consumer Planning and Options 

As crazy as this may sound, the new R454b equipment was not even on the market July 1, 2024—less than six months before this change will go into effect. This whole change has come rapidly, and the manufacturers and contractors are still catching up. The production transition should be interesting, and we expect the next two years to be a little chaotic. 

The impact/cost of this change will be felt when you replace your existing air conditioner. If you have an outdoor unit that is 8-10 years old (or more) and want to be proactive, you may want to consider replacing it with an R410a unit while the equipment is available and compatible with your existing indoor equipment.  

We hope to have R410a air conditioners and heat pumps for the next year, but supplies will diminish. Once they are gone, you will have to replace at least the indoor coil to make your system compatible with the new refrigerant and incur whatever price increases have hit the market between now and then.

What Were Doing

In addition to keeping you informed, we are investing in intense training for our staff and purchasing new specialized tools required to work with the new refrigerant.  We’re also looking at the near term and realize it’s important for our clients to save money while they still have choices. 

Delay the impact to you and save while you can. 

Comfort Now is offering a discounted buy now, install next year” program. With your agreement, well purchase units while they are available at todays cost, store them, and install them next spring. That is our off-season when were looking to keep our staff busy, so we are providing a 10% discount on today’s cost. We can also offer 12 month interest free financing with approval & total billing processed by 12/20/24. This offer is subject to be modified or withdrawn anytime based on market conditions and product availability. 

Call us at 609-400-1005 or schedule an estimate online at Comfort Now

We appreciate your business and will be happy to answer any questions.

Need HVAC Service?

Contact the experts at Comfort Now by Bob McAllister.

Call us at 609-493-0994!