• Photo ©Terry McIver
    Photo ©Terry McIver
    Photo ©Terry McIver
    Photo ©Terry McIver
    Photo ©Terry McIver
    Photo ©Terry McIver

    Here Are the Refrigerants We're Losing Over the Next 7 Years

    Jan. 13, 2017
    Note that some are banned for specific uses as of January 3, 2017.

    The following contains the most recent action against commercial refrigerants mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency.

    Photo ©Terry McIver

    For retrofit residential and light commercial AC and heat pumps—unitary split AC systems and heat pumps, unacceptable as of January 3, 2017
    • All refrigerants identified as flammability Class 3 in American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 34-2013; and
    • All refrigerants meeting the criteria for flammability Class 3 in ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 34-2013. These include, but are not limited to, refrigerant products sold under the names R-22a, 22a, Blue Sky 22a refrigerant, Coolant Express 22a, DURACOOL-22a, EC-22, Ecofreeez EF-22a, Envirosafe 22a, ES-22a, Frost 22a, HC-22a, Maxi-Fridge, MX-22a, Oz-Chill 22a, Priority Cool, and RED TEK 22a.

    For new residential and light commercial AC and heat pumps, cold storage warehouses, centrifugal chillers, and positive displacement chillers, unacceptable as of January 3, 2017
    • Propylene and R-443A.

    Unacceptable alternatives by end-use (Change of Listing Status) as of January 1, 2024
    • For new centrifugal chillers, EPA is listing as unacceptable, except as otherwise allowed under a narrowed use limit:
    • FOR12A, FOR12B, HFC-134a, HFC-227ea, HFC-236fa, HFC-245fa, R-125/134a/600a (28.1/70/1.9), R-125/290/134a/600a (55.0/1.0/42.5/1.5), R-404A, R-407C, R-410A, R-410B, R-417A, R-421A, R-422B, R-422C, R-422D, R-423A, R-424A, R-434A, R-438A, R-507A, RS-44 (2003 composition), and THR-03.

    Unacceptable for new positive displacement chillers, EPA is listing as unacceptable, except as otherwise allowed under a narrowed use limit, as of January 1, 2024
    • FOR12A, FOR12B, HFC-134a, HFC-227ea, KDD6, R-125/134a/600a (28.1/70/1.9), R-125/290/134a/600a (55.0/1.0/42.5/1.5), R-404A, R-407C, R-410A, R-410B, R-417A, R-421A, R-422B, R-422C, R-422D, R-424A, R-434A, R-437A, R-438A, R-507A, RS-44 (2003 composition), SP34E, and THR-03.

    For new centrifugal chillers, EPA is listing as acceptable, subject to narrowed use limits, unacceptable as of January 1, 2024
    • HFC-134a for military marine vessels and HFC-134a and R-404A for human-rated spacecraft and related support equipment

    For new positive displacement chillers, EPA is listing as acceptable, subject to narrowed use limits, as of January 1, 2024
    • HFC-134a for military marine vessels and HFC-134a and R-404A for human-rated spacecraft and related support equipment

    For new cold storage warehouses, EPA is listing as unacceptable, as of January 1, 2023:
    • HFC-227ea, R-125/290/134a/600a (55.0/1.0/42.5/1.5), R-404A, R-407A, R-407B, R-410A, R-410B, R-417A, R-421A, R-421B, R-422A, R-422B, R-422C, R-422D, R-423A, R-424A, R-428A, R-434A, R-438A, R-507A, and RS-44 (2003 composition).

    For new retail food refrigeration (refrigerated food processing and dispensing equipment), EPA is listing as unacceptable, as of January 1, 2021:
    • HFC-227ea, KDD6, R-125/290/134a/600a (55.0/1.0/42.5/1.5), R-404A, R-407A, R-407B, R-407C, R-407F, R-410A, R-410B, R-417A, R-421A, R-421B, R-422A, R-422B, R-422C, R-422D, R-424A, R-428A, R-434A, R-437A, R-438A, R-507A, RS-44 (2003 formulation).

    For new household refrigerators and freezers, EPA is listing as unacceptable, as of January 1, 2021:
    • FOR12A, FOR12B, HFC-134a, KDD6, R-125/290/134a/600a (55.0/1.0/42.5/1.5), R-404A, R-407C, R-407F, R-410A, R-410B, R-417A, R-421A, R-421B, R-422A, R-422B, R-422C, R-422D, R-424A, R-426A, R-428A, R-434A, R-437A, R-438A, R-507A, RS-24 (2002 formulation), RS-44 (2003 formulation), SP34E, and THR-03.

    Find the entire delisting for all refrigerant uses at bit.ly/EPADelist1216