What’s the Difference Between R-22 and R-410A?

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AC Heating Connect Service Tech uses an iPad 6 for important HVAC information

Comparing Refrigerants Side-by-Side

One of the hottest discussions (pardon the pun) within the air conditioning and heating industry is the difference between two refrigerants – R-22 and R-410A. As a homeowner considering a purchase, it’s important that you understand the difference so you can make the best decision for your system. We’ve outlined below the main differences and why they matter.

R-22

  • Often referred to by a brand name like Freon®
  • As of 2010, R-22 was discontinued for use in new air conditioning systems
  • R-22 is a hydro-chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) which contributes to ozone depletion

R-410A

  • Often referred to by a brand name like Puron®
  • Has been approved for use in new residential air conditioners
  • Is a hydro-fluorocarbon (HFC) which does not contribute to ozone depletion
  • Will become the new standard for U.S. residential air conditioning systems in 2015

Compare R-22 and R-410A refrigerants

Performance Differences

Newer air conditioning models are designed to be used with R-410A for reliable and more efficient operation. Because R-410A can absorb and release more heat than R-22, your air conditioning compressor can run cooler, reducing the risk of compressor burnout due to overheating.

R-410A also functions at a higher pressure than R-22, so new compressors are built to withstand greater stresses, reducing the chance for cracking. If you were to put R-410A refrigerant into a system designed for R-22, the pressure would be too much and the unit would break.

All air conditioners use an oil to keep the compressor lubricated during operation. R-22 air conditioners use mineral oil and R-410A systems use synthetic oil. The synthetic oil is generally more soluble with R-410A than mineral oil is with R-22. This means the R-410A system operates more efficiently reducing wear and tear on the compressor.

Dry Charging

While R-22 was outlawed in 2010 for use in new units, some companies are taking advantage of the law by producing what’s known as ‘dry charge’ units. These are new units that don’t have the refrigerant installed at the factory. Instead, a technician is required to come out to your home and install the R-22 refrigerant. While this practice is technically legal, this isn’t the best option for the following reasons:

  • There is a limited supply of R-22 and its price will increase as supplies diminish
  • R-410A offers greater efficiency, saving you in energy costs, and is much better for the environment
  • Dry charged units typically offer much shorter warranty periods

What have you heard about these two refrigerants? We can help give you unbiased answers!

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434 thoughts on “What’s the Difference Between R-22 and R-410A?”

  1. It sounds like you are making progress. Here are a few answers to your other questions:

    1 Generally more air flow will help with humidity reduction as that will keep more air circulating across the cold coil when it is running. Some people actually let the fan run constantly when it is really humid (set it to “on” not “auto”) so the fan runs even when the system is not actually cooling. Conversely, the lower blower setting will generally make any humidity problem even worse as less of the moist air will pass over the coil.

    2 Systems with capacity modulation can run at full capacity during the hottest part of the day (e.g 2 tons) and then switch down to a lower capacity (e.g. 1.3 tons) if needed, at night or on a warm, but not a “hot” day.

    3 The overall efficiency throughout the cooling season (SEER) for these modulating units is usually better than most fixed capacity systems which must be sized for the hottest day but cycle a lot at night. The lower capacity settings also feature lower and sometimes longer indoor blower settings and are thus pretty quiet too on the low stage when you are trying to sleep. They also generally use less energy when running at the lower capacity which makes them more efficient.

    4 Since you are already invested in a new system you might try turning the temperature setting down a little at night and letting the fan run all night. If this is a constant problem, maybe a programmable thermostat could do this for you automatically. Using dehumidifiers during the humid season might be another option to avoid further investment in a totally new system.

    Here are a few articles from our site that might provide more information.
    http://www.ac-heatingconnect.com/why-humidity-control-is-important-in-the-cooling-season-2/
    http://www.ac-heatingconnect.com/what-factors-affect-my-comfort/
    http://www.ac-heatingconnect.com/homeowner-comparing-options-for-cooling-your-home/
    http://www.ac-heatingconnect.com/hvac-glossary-of-terms/

    Reply ↓

  2. Getting the indoor and outdoor equipment all on the same refrigerant would be the best approach but if you decide to keep the same mismatched equipment, its performance (cooling and energy use) could be less than optimal and might be inadequate for your needs. Some indoor coils were designed to handle both R-22 and R-410A so if this is the case with your indoor coil, you might want to ask the contractor to verify that the orifice you are using is the right one for the refrigerant you are using.

    Some of the problems you are experiencing could also be caused by the outdoor unit being too small to keep up with your needs. Going from 2.25 tons to 1.5 tons seems like a pretty large change but if your system is set up properly and you still have problems then you might need to check to see if it has enough capacity. There is a standard set of calculations that most contractors use to determine the best cooling capacity to match the space to be cooled so these might need to be rechecked. If you go with a different unit you might want to look into a 16+ SEER system with at least two steps of capacity modulation to address humidity problems throughout the cooling season. These also come with variable speed indoor air handlers which might address your other question about air flow.

    BTW, the proper refrigerant charge level should not be variable and should be set to the design of the system. Reducing charge level to achieve longer run time is not recommended and could actually cause damage to the system. Here is a link for a smart phone app that many contractors use to set the proper refrigerant charge.

    http://www.emersonclimate.com/en-us/Resources/Mobile_Apps/Pages/HVAC_Check_Charge.aspx.

    Hope this helps.

    Reply ↓

    • Thanks for the rapid and very clear response. The installer did come back after a week to replace the expansion valve on the inside coil… he did not have one initially so did the install anyway. System was very noisy, could here and feel vibration in house when it ran. The noise disappeared after changing to valve that he stated allowed him to use the R22 in this system. There is a label on air handler cabinet that states R410A only… my assumption was that this valve was what determined acceptable refrigerant. What would high vs low speed fan do to my humidity situation? Does the type of unit with capacity modulation use more energy at night to drop humidity, then return to daytime system which does OK, in my situation? If so that would be fine and a change would be worth it. I plan on discussing with installer once I have done sufficient background research.
      I did not do enough research prior to purchase or I would have caught this in advance… I am a trusting soul and expect the treatment that I would give them… shame on me!
      My house is less than 840sqft and the 2.25ton unit was way too cold when on but wouldn’t drop the humidity at night unless set to colder temps. His calculations supported the 1.5ton unit but I am going research and make sure I have sufficient outlets. I also have a central, single cold air return mounted as low as it can go, but we circulate the air with ceiling fans in all rooms except the bathroom. I will be going to a higher location central air return with high mounted intakes for the rooms with doors.
      Your response helped tremendously.
      thank you,
      Harry

      Reply ↓

  3. I just had a new system installed and not sure I did the right thing. Outside unit is R-22(1.5ton) and inside is R410… should I push for outside unit to be changed to a R410 unit? Serious difference between new and WORKING old system, which was a 15yr old Goodman/Janitrol(2.25ton)… I now have higher humidity upstairs and down and basement is 10 degrees warmer. Installer adjusted Freon(removed) to make unit run more and that helped a small bit but extra runtime will increase our utility bill. Old unit worked great was just too big for home and 10 SEER. I was led to believe that the new system would do away with COLD DAMP air as the new system would run more and thus drop humidity. THIS DID NOT OCCUR!!!!!
    New furnace is 95% vs 65% and looking forward to those savings… but this AC situation is bothering me.
    Did I do wrong in accepting ONLY a SEER 13 unit?(old unit was a 10)
    What is true fix for overnight humidity spike?
    What blower speeds are suggested for ac, heat and continuous fan?
    Thanks,
    Harry

    Reply ↓

  4. Dear Sir
    My +10 year split unit (R22) had failed and I intended to install newer set. However I was told that the existing copper piping has to be replaced inorder to receive new set of aircond using R410. My existing copper piping is concealed behind built-in wardrobe and furniture and I dont want to spend money to rip and rebuild the furniture. Can I re-use the old piping for the R410 gas. Do I expect any future leakage of gas, deterioration of piping etc. If no choice, my only option is to new unit with R22.
    Please advise,

    Reply ↓

    • Some contractors have had success using existing copper lines but they neeed to be cleaned and flushed out before using them with the new refrigerant. Whle older lines do not normally deteriorate over time they are still subject to vibration and fatigue. If your lines have braze joints or have a lot of contact with other surfaces this could lead to future leaks. In any case it might be best to get some more input from one or more qualified contractors on the specifics of your particular situation. Hope this helps.

      Reply ↓

  7. It is important to match the original refrigerant in the unit if you are recharging. The chemicals are different and the oils are different too. Mixing refrigerants can lead to problems. Hope this helps.

    Reply ↓

  8. I have a kenmore dehumidifier that is not generating any water in the bucket. The compressor seems to be kicking in and out properly and the humidity sensor seems to be functioning fine, and the fan runs well too. The filter has been cleaned and the evaporator coils and condenser have also been gently cleaned. When running the evaporator coils do get cold…but not cold enough to cause the moisture in the air to reach its dew point and condense. The unit is sealed, so I installed a bullet piercing valve on the low side line going into the compressor to allow for recharging. The compressor runs A410-A refrigerant and I wanted to know if it is okay to add a small charge of Redtek 22a refrigerant (this is an Eco friendly substitute for R22 that is sold in small 6 and 12 oz cans…like the car a/c stuff) to top off the system?

    Thanks.

    Reply ↓

  9. About 2 years ago my coil developed a freon (R22) leak and was replaced with a unit designed for R410A. I did not replace the compressor but I need to do so now. My question is since the system is all R22 (even though the coil is designed for R410A), should I replace both the coil and compressor with all R410A equipment or just go with a dry charged R22 compressor and keep everything R22? Thanks.

    Reply ↓

    • Craig,

      Thanks for the question! It’s a matter of what you want to get out of the system, If lowest cost is the only objective, you could keep the system as an R-22, and just replace the outdoor unit (coil & compressor) and maybe save a little money. If your goal is improved efficiency and a longer term solution (if R-22 becomes scarce in the future) you might want to consider an R-410-A unit with a little higher efficiency rating (almost all R-22 units available now are only13 SEER). Either way I would talk to a qualified HVAC Service Company to do the system change out and discuss various options and trade-offs. The article attached to the link below might provide more info on this.

      http://www.ac-heatingconnect.com/r22-outdoor-unit-replacement-decision/#sthash.e5diUa5J

      Reply ↓

  10. Thanks for your comments. This is a very common situation and we agree with all your points. Here are a few other comments and suggestions on this topic which you might find helpful in the future.

    Replacing an R22 compressor or the outdoor unit (which contains the compressor) is a good, low cost way to get your AC running again without changing out the indoor part of the system (which contains the cooling coil, the blower and often is integrated with a gas furnace or other heating system). If the indoor components are still in good shape and you can find the R22 outdoor replacement parts and the R22 refrigerant you can save some money. Many people do this and many contractors support this approach. We think this sort of repair will be a viable, low cost repair option for at least through 2016 and maybe longer – as long as parts are available.

    Some other low cost replacement options should be emerging even after the R22 availability becomes difficult. Many R22 indoor coils build since 2006 were designed to be retrofitted to R410A so a homeowner can still keep the indoor equipment but upgrade to a newer outdoor. There are some extra parts and steps involved but it should still be lower cost than total system replacement. Unfortunately, just like with the R22 replacements, the overall efficiency of the system usually will not improve when only the outdoor equipment is replaced.

    For people who are willing to pay a little more, some new, high efficiency retrofits are becoming available in the market. These should help satisfy homeowners who want the low cost replacement but would also like to reduce their energy bills or address some comfort issues like humidity control, nighttime temperature spikes or sound and air quality.

    Thanks for your comments!

    Reply ↓

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