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

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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. You are actually dealing with two regulations – one is the R-22 phase out for new systems that happened in 2010 and the other is the new regulated minimum efficiency level of 13 SEER which happened in 2006. The 13 SEER systems (both indoor and outdoor) are usually larger than the older, lower SEER systems and that is probably what is driving your indoor fit up problem.

    Considering your furnace is 16 years old, you might want to consider replacing it now, along with upgrading to a more current model for the whole system. Another approach might be to consider “dual fuel” system, which is a heat pump that does both heating and cooling, but allows the contractor to retrofit your old gas furnace (or a new one) to use gas heat for auxiliary heating on really cold days. We also recommend a 16 SEER or greater SEER AC system with at least two steps of cooling capacity to provide the best comfort and humidity control, but keep in mind this would also require a new indoor unit. All these options depend on where you live and your individual heating and cooling needs. Your HVAC contractor should be able to advise you on these to help you get a system that will work best for you.

    If you decide to stay with your current furnace, here are some answers to your posted questions.

    1. All new coils are supposed to only be approved for use with R-410A as part of the Montreal Protocol, R-22 phase-out for new equipment in 2010). If you have an R-22 coil it is either one left over from pre-2010 or it might be a used coil from other equipment. Some R-22 coils can be retrofitted with expansion devices to be suitable for R-410A. I am not sure about taking an R410A coil back to R-22 but I guess it is possible. In any case, the efficiency will be dependent on the coil size, fin size and spacing, and installing the right expansion device in addition to the refrigerant. It all has to work together.
    2. There is a process for flushing out an old coil and lines to remove the old oil. Note, all of the refrigerant would have evaporated from an old coil if opened for any length of time but some oil usually remains. R-22 systems use mineral oil and R-410A can only be used with synthetic POE oil. Flushing the coil before retrofitting refrigerants is important, especially when going from R-22 to R-410A. When converting a mineral oil system to POE, the total amount of residual mineral oil should be kept to a minimum.
    3. R-410A is a higher pressure refrigerant so the newer coils are designed to handle it. Some R-22 coils were designed to handle both, but older R-22 coils were only designed for lower pressures so you should not use those with higher pressure R-410A.

    I hope this information helps with your decision.

    Reply ↓

  2. I have a high efficiency Ruud gas furnace which was installed about 16 years ago and included an enclosure for evaporator coil. I would like to install a coil and buy a 3-ton condensing unit. I prefer R-410 and all pieces will be new. My problem is that the evaporator enclosure is not very tall so most coils will not fit. I did find a Rheem unit which matches the model originally listed for the furnace. However, I am sure it is for R-22. Three questions: 1) if the coil is purchased dry, with just a nitrogen purge, could the expansion valve be changed to get full efficiency from R-410? 2) If the unit comes with some refrigerant in it, can it be purged effectively to work with R-410? 3) Are there pressure or heat transfer issues (ex: exposed fin area) which are arguments for not using an R-22 evaporator with R-410? Thank you for any tips!

    Reply ↓

  3. If you are replacing both indoor and outdoor units then you really only have the R-410A option. R-22 is only allowed in repair situations where only the outdoor is changed. This ban on R22 in new installations was part of the Montreal Protocol that went into effect in 2010 since R22 is harmful to the ozone. In the long run you should be better off with R-410A since R22 refrigerant is likely to become less available and more expensive in the future in case you need your system repaired at some point. R22 and R-410A systems are equivalent and both will provide the same rated efficiency as appears on the label. However, you might have more high efficiency options with R-410A than R-22 since only repair units (dry charge) are supposed to be available as new production. Hope this helps.

    Reply ↓

  4. Replacing inside and outside unit. Everything I read says change to 410a. Are there any advantages to replacing with r22?

    Reply ↓

  5. I was recently told by an HVAC contractor that my AC unit had a R410a based compressor installed on a R22 based system. Unfortunately I can’t confirm this since he has taken away the old compressor.

    Is this even possible? How could the AC have performed for two years in that configuration. The unit is a Goodman and designated as R22

    The unit is still under warranty and I suspect the contractor and supply house are colluding to get me to pay the full cost of the new R22 compressor by claiming that Goodman says they won’t honor the warranty since the wrong compressor was put in.

    Please help

    Reply ↓

    • Operating an approved R-410A compressor within a system designed for, and using R-22 refrigerant could shorten the compressor’s life span. But sometimes, even the wrong replacement compressor will run for a while. But this misapplication will run inefficiently, at a lower capacity (-30% to -40%) and could have potential problems that show up later.

      It might be a good idea to get another opinion from a different contractor about your system.

      Reply ↓

  7. It is common to add refrigerant back to the system after repairing a leak – including R-410A. However, in these situations is it important to make sure you are recharging with the same refrigerant that was in the system originally or an approved equivalent refrigerant which may have some unique recharging guidelines as specified by the system manufacturer. It is also important to insure that you get the proper charge level back into the system. Here is some information with a link to a mobile phone app that many contractors use to achieve proper charge levels.
    http://www.emersonclimate.com/en-US/Resources/Mobile_Apps/Pages/HVAC_Check_Charge.aspx

    Reply ↓

  8. hi sir is it possibel to top up unit charged with 410 gas if there is small leakage after fixing that can we add [ top up] the airconditioin

    Reply ↓

  9. My system was converted to a dual zone about 12 years ago. A new evaporator as well as new copper was installed and connected to an existing r22 compressor. The 20 year old compressor died recently requiring a new compressor. Should I go with a 13 seer 2 ton r22 unit or get a new 16 seer r410a system that requires all new tubing as well as an new evaporator. The cost difference is over $1700. Please advise. Thanks

    Reply ↓

    • 20 years is an exceptional service life span, and you truly got your money’s worth out of the system. The existing “new coil” has 8+ years life on it, and under normal circumstances this would be half way through it appliance life span. Although $1700 is a lot of money upfront, it is a small price to pay for potentially another 20 years of superior comfort. I would also make sure the 16 SEER system you are considering has at least two steps of compressor capacity modulation (most do, but some don’t). This is especially important if you want to zone off rooms. Capacity modulation also helps with temperature swings and humidity reduction if you live in an area where that can be a problem.

      Reply ↓

  10. Sir,

    We have the split units(2 Ton) ,2 Star with R 22 Gas, Now we would like to change with 407C Gas.

    What are all the parts to be replaced?
    Is there any power savings in this, by converting to 407C Gas?

    Please help me.

    Thank you.

    Reply ↓

    • Not sure if you are meaning to refer to R-410A, but I will answer your question as written. R-407C is about -5% below R-22 in both refrigerant performance and capacity. When converting to R-407C, I would verify that the compressor oil is compatible (POE) along with the metering device. If these are not compatible they will need to be replaced. One other area to keep in mind is that R-407C has a refrigerant glide of 4.5°C, So make sure you are using the correct saturation column on the P/T chart when charging.

      Good luck with your conversion,
      Scott

      Reply ↓

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