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With new refrigerant changes on the way, we’ve received many questions on how this will impact the HVAC industry in the upcoming year. This guide aims to target these questions with the latest information we have to date!

Why is This Change Happening?

The Aim Act, signed into law in 2020, gave authority to the EPA to regulate energy efficiency and in doing so refrigerants used in equipment were regulated to meet a new efficiency standard that would reduce the GWP (global warming potential) of cooling equipment.

Why does the Aim Act require New Refrigerant?

The refrigerant 410A that is in current use now will be replaced by the new refrigerant R454B a blend of R 32 and R1234yf that performs similarly to 410A, and has a much lower GWP. Years of testing by manufacturers have gone into selecting a refrigerant that would be compatible with their systems and meet the necessary efficiency required by the EPA. The date set to initiate the use of R454B has arrived and is 1/1/2025.

Will this Impact Manufacturing?

Manufacturers are now in production of the new Product to be ready for next year. Products, Systems and Components using the refrigerant 410A will be available through 12/31/2025. They must have a date of manufacture no later than 12/31/2024.

Manufacturers have asked for interpretation of some rulings to clarify the new mandates. Date of manufacture will be marked on Products, Systems and Components for matching. These clarifications will continue to be necessary as the mandate becomes operable. A refrigerant management component of the Aim Act has not reached a final ruling to date.

What Products, Systems, and Components will be Impacted?

Products include: window units, commercial roof top units, Magic Pak® all-in-one packaged units, residential packaged units. Systems include: residential split systems, commercial split systems and commercial refrigeration equipment. Components are furnaces, coils/air handlers and compressors.

Final Notes:

The overall goal of the refrigerant change is to reduce the global warming potential limit another 15% by 2036 to reach 30% of the baseline mandated by the Aim Act. R454B’s GWP rating is 466 while 410A’s GWP is 2088.

Safety is built into all of this and knowing all the factors involved will help customers and contractors move positivelyinto the change. The very low flammability of R454B refrigerant will not automatically allow it’s transfer into an existing 410 A system. Employing technicians who are trained in the technology relevant to this coming change is important to a successful transition.

For more information check out our latest blog or contact us today!