EPA's Refrigerant Regulations

This summer has felt like the tropics at times – hot, humid, and rainy! That hasn’t stopped our team, who have been on the road servicing and installing cooling equipment all season.

Earlier this year, there was a lot of buzz in the industry about the EPA’s latest refrigerant regulations. Starting January 1, 2025, all newly manufactured air conditioning equipment must use R454B refrigerant. This marks our second major refrigerant phase-out in the last 15 years — first R22, and now R410A — all part of the ongoing effort to reduce environmental impact and improve energy efficiency.

While R410A systems, refrigerant, and parts are still readily available, the same can’t be said for older R22 systems. Parts are scarce or unavailable for repairs, and the refrigerant itself (Freon) is both hard to find and prohibitively expensive, meaning we can’t continue refilling systems like we used to.

This fall and winter, our team will be reaching out to our R22 customers to discuss the condition of their equipment and options to keep cool. I always find it’s better to plan ahead than be caught by surprise!