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. R-22 is the one MOST efficiency for AC unit, compared with others.
    If R-410A or else were more efficiency than R-22, why still have so many people and Factory in many countries prefer to using R-22 in their new AC system. Even though R-22 will Deterioration of the Ozone layer. Why ?
    These all actually are merchants politicized to make $$$.
    All people know, plumping the Higher pressure will using extra energy or electricity. Means extra $$$, to get the extra efficiency. Save Cost ???

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  2. & now with the “environmentally friendly” R-410A you can’t just add more if your AC is low, you will have to empty it and then do a full refill!!! What a waste of $$$ for the consumer!! Hey, but who cares about the consumer, right? As long as the companies are raking in the dough thanks to the environmental nuts it’s all good!……….NOT!!!….what a bunch of CROOKS!!

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  3. “…with R-410A for reliable and more efficient operation…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…” Really? That’s BS! It has nothing to do with efficiency and all to do with the environmental nuts pushing their agenda on consumers to have companies RIP THEM OFF!! give me a break! I’ve NEVER had an AC compressor go out on ANY of my ACs!!!! NEVER! no cracking!! Absolutely NOTHING like that. I’ve had the switch, breakers, fan, other things go out but not the compressor.

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  4. Just got a new GOODMAN 5 ton 16 SEER System replacing my 15 year old Rheem in South Florida . System components are : GSX160601FD Outdoor and ASPT61D14AA Indoor unit.
    The yellow label outside states a 14 to 16 SEER depending on the matching indoor unit; the indoor unit doesn’t has a yellow label, I’ve unable to find the SEER for that unit even call to the manufacturer and they claim I have to ask my contractor. How efficient and
    What SEER is my system?

    Reply ↓

    • We looked up the outdoor and indoor unit model numbers in the AHRI Industry directory and it looks like that match would yield 16 SEER efficiency. You should probably ask your contractor to confirm this if possible in case we missed something or if the OEM specs had changed, etc. The contractor should know for sure what the installed efficiency would be in your application. I hope this answers your question.

      Reply ↓

  5. Our apt. has a leaking coils area 1969 very old central air unit. The coils are in the apt. ceiling and the condenser? is up rooftop. The landlords are cheapskates not fixing properly. They claim they removed freon from roofside but man who went up had zero tools or tanks in hand. Is there any explanation for our halogen tester still detecting freon, and floor-level matching signs such as burning eyes/nose/throat/palpitations, to explain this if they truly “evacuated” freon from the roof portion? This is a bad leak showing solvent corrosion of paint in the hallway directly below the unit, accompanied by a rusty colored oil coming down. Thanks for any help. Its the older r22 freon. The sys required 5 refills of freon that didnt help any, no air blows from the vents so 80 one side of apt, 70 directly inside the vents not cooling place properly.
    Also…it would not be safe to use same unit unrepaired for heat as the air goes thru same channels, correct?

    Reply ↓

    • Hi Tina – Any refrigerant leak should be repaired and proper charge level established to have the system run properly. Also, the liquid leaks below the unit could be condensate (condensed moisture that collects in a pan under the unit) which might be leaking from an overflow point. This should also be diagnosed and corrected. I can’t comment on health related issues due to leaks but changing the air filter at the beginning of each heating and cooling season might help with any dirt or debris that might be coming through the duct work. Also, our survey data shows that on average, people in the US replace their HVAC systems when they are about 16 years old – more or less, depending on where it is located i.e. units in the south get replaced at about 14 years old due to the longer cooling season which drives run time. I hope this helps to answer some of your questions.

      Reply ↓

  6. Hi, i was told by the air conditioner seller that old model of air conditioner run with R22 can be switch to R410 by changing the piping only without changing the outdoor unit, is that true?

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    • Hi Frankie – Outdoor units (and compressors) are designed for a specific refrigerant. The unit will not operate properly and may not operate at all if used with a refrigerant it was not designed for. R-410A is not a suitable replacement refrigerant for R-22. I would suggest you get 2-3 other contractors to advise you on this matter.

      Hope this helps.

      Reply ↓

  7. R-22 is sufficient for comfort cooling, as like DX, Air Cold and Child Water Cooling.
    R-410 is sufficient for precision cooling like Up flow, Down Flow & in-row.

    The refrigerant gas type recommend by principle. any have more info please share with us and gain the knowledge.

    Reply ↓

  8. I need an outside unit/ condensor using r22 replaced. The cost in refrigerant alone with save me $800.00, if I were to switch to the new refrigerant. . It is covered by warranty for the unit outside but not the refrigerant, Does the inside unit/evaporator need to be replaced if I were to ask for the new outside unit to use the new refrigerant? If so, do you feel it would be an advantage to pay for the new inside unit if I have to?

    Reply ↓

    • Hi Jeff – The outdoor units need to use the same refrigerant as the indoor unit. If you go to R410A on your new outdoor unit you might be able to replace the expansion device on the R22 indoor unit so you can use the new R410A refrigerant but only if it was designed for this modification as the pressures are different. Your contractor or the OEM who built your system should be able to help with this.

      However, our research shows that, on average, HVAC systems in the US last about 16 years before they are replaced but the replacement age might vary due to geography (e.g. more run time in the south) and whether it is a heat pump (runs both winter and summer). So, if your system is near or over 16 years old and/or has had a lot of run time you might want to consider replacing both the indoor and the outdoor units to avoid having to spend more money for future repairs on the old indoor unit. Also, a failure of your old indoor unit might actually end up damaging the new outdoor unit you just replaced.

      Another reason for replacing both is to get the full energy savings from the new outdoor unit – which probably has a higher SEER (Seasonal Energy efficiency Ratio) of 13 or 14 SEER. If your indoor unit is/was a lower efficiency you will probably not realize the rated efficiency of the new outdoor. If you match the efficiency and the refrigerant on the indoor and outdoor units you will get a matched set with the right efficiency and you will probably get a full, new warranty on both if something happens in the future.

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  9. I have a R22 copeland scroll type compressor. The unit that needs a compressor replacement needs a R410 compressor as it was running on R410 system. The R410 compressors are not available locally but R22 compressor is available. After changing the oil in the R22 compressor to suit for the R410 gas, will the compressor work, if at all it will not work, please give reasons why it will fail to work.

    Reply ↓

    • Hi Athailus

      It is virtually impossible to retrofit a system designed for R-410A to be suitable for use with R-22. The compressor and other major components operate on a totally different pressure/temperature correlation and you would have to change all of them. As you stated, not only does it require you to change the oil in the compressor, but all of the compressor internal protection devices would not allow the compressor to function properly. Another reason would be based on the efficiency of the heat transfer of R-410A being about 40% better than R-22, the displacement is lower on an R-410A compressor. Basically all the pressures required for R410A are totally different than those required for R22. If the wrong refrigerant is introduced, the pressures that the compressor delivers to the rest of the system will not provide the right conditions for proper cooling.

      I would suggest checking with a qualified contractor to advise you on your options.
      Hope this helps,
      Scott

      Reply ↓

  10. having trouble with my system cooling. keep freezing up and leaking R22. this is the 5th time within 6 months with 3 different companies charging me for freon. I was told yesterday that i have a goodman 2.5 ton 13 steer R22 compressor and a 3 ton system. i was told that i needed to change to a american standard 3 ton 14 steer 410A to get the maximum amount of air in home to match my 3 ton system and the best price for coolant in the future. is this necessary? i was also told that the system is not sealed to RA, system air not filtering, no txv unit, no overflow on system and LL dryer leaking. Suggestion- purchase American Standard 3 ton 14 seer 410A, txv, and 20X25X4 honey well filter.

    Reply ↓

    • Hi Tammy,

      A Leaking coil causes pressure drop within the system. Since the indoor coil temperature is directly affected by pressure, this causes the normal condensate to freeze. Air conditioning systems (unlike Heat pumps) do not have a defrost cycle to clear this ice. Blocking the airflow with ice, can cause future problems with the system. Since several service calls have been made, it sounds like you are experiencing one or more refrigerant leaks in this system. In this case, the proposed replacement might be the best solution. We usually recommend that homeowners to get at least 3 quotes from qualified service companies before making their final purchase decision.

      Hope this helps,
      Scott

      Reply ↓

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