In 2010, when I started my venture into the HVAC industry, I was coming in during a time of transition. Our industry was changing from systems that had R22 refrigerant circulating through their lines to R410A. This new refrigerant has no chlorine in it, which R22 did. When chemicals like chlorine rise into the atmosphere in the form of an HVAC system leaking refrigerant, it damages the ozone layer. This is what we're talking about here on Fox Family Heating and Air. Hey, if this is your first time watching our channel, please click subscribe down here on the bottom right. And if you click that little bell next to it, you'll be notified of all of our videos as they come out. The new refrigerant coming out very soon is R454B, also known as Option XL41. It's just funny right now because when I go into people's homes and they say that the technician was talking about the new R410 refrigerant, in my mind, I already know that 410 is being phased out very soon, just like R22 was phased out. Environmentalists found the new R410A has less ozone depletion potential, ODP, since it doesn't carry chlorine in its composition. But the global warming potential of it was still too high. In fact, the new R410A's GWP is actually higher than the old R22. In response to this, manufacturers have been trying to figure out a better refrigerant to use, one with no ozone depletion potential and less global warming potential. And just to bring you up to speed on these gases as they've changed over the last few decades, only a generation ago the refrigerant R12 was used to cool houses before R22 took its place. Then R22 changed to the new R410A as recent as 2010, and now 13 years later, R410A is being changed to R32 and R454B, all to decrease one ozone depletion potential and two global warming potential. The goal is to get the global warming potential of these refrigerants below 500. Here's some of the potentials of the refrigerants we use. Just to give you an example, halons are some of the worst culprits, and they have an ODP of 10 to 16 parts per metric ton and a GWP of 6900, which is a multiple of the effect of one unit of CO2 that would warm the earth. R12 has an ODP of 1.0 and a GWP of 2400. R22 has an ozone depletion potential of 0.5 and a GWP of 1700. R410A has an ozone depletion potential of 0, but their GWP is higher than R22 at 2088. R32 is 0 and 675, and R454B is 0 and 465. As I just mentioned, halons were once the holy grail of fire suppression for sensitive items like IT rooms, data centers, museums, and libraries that would otherwise be damaged by sprinkler systems, but they're banned now and being replaced by alternative suppression systems. I give you that information as a reference to the refrigerants being used in the HVAC industry. They're not as bad, but way more refrigerants are released into the atmosphere than fire suppression halons. Even though R22 only has an ODP of 0.5 per metric ton, its effect on the ozone layer isn't suitable for future generations. And like I said before, while the new R410A has no ozone depletion potential, it has a little bit higher global warming potential. R454 offers pressures that are much more similar to R410A and require a little bit less of a charge. R32 was another option for use as a low GWP refrigerant, but its potential of 0.675 is higher than 500, and 0.500 is the likely standard that the industry will have to dip below in the near future, so it just makes sense to go with R454B now. If we're going to be using this refrigerant, some things will have to change. Most importantly, the residential codes that are currently in effect. Nothing in it allows for the use of A2L mildly flammable refrigerants to be used in residential cooling systems. Mildly flammable refrigerants can't be used in existing R410A and R22 systems. Compressors have to be upgraded. System design for R454B will require less of a charge than today's R410A systems, and will be about 5% more efficient than current refrigerants. R454B systems will need some extra protection and usage standards that are not used in today's equipment. So if people think that there's just going to drop in some XL41 into a R410A system, which do not operate at similar pressures, they have some more training to do. The EPA has approved the refrigerant for use in light commercial and residential applications for new equipment. This is why the major brands are already planning for new equipment in the future to use the new new refrigerant on January 1st, 2023, which is the date that the 2022 California Energy Code begins. And if manufacturers have to start making it for California, they're not going to keep making 410A systems and 454B systems. So essentially, when it happens in states like California and Washington, it'll happen around the rest of the country too. AHARI and ESCO already have created classes that will teach today's technicians about the new new refrigerant. Nate will also have certification testing available for technicians. The reason we need the training is because even though we'll be using the same types of equipment to handle XL41, they have to be approved for use with A2L refrigerants, which use features like fans to dissipate fumes from the electric motors. All of this training will cover safety as well as requirements for proper installation and maintenance of equipment that use A2L refrigerants. Will R22 and R410A still be available to service existing HFAC equipment? Absolutely. But some HFAC companies will still use this as an opportunity to convince unsuspecting customers that R22 and R410 systems are illegal to use now, and they can't repair their existing system. There's a regular tactic I hear all the time for customers regarding the new R410A refrigerant. And shame on those technicians that do that. You're what gives this industry a bad reputation. Warehouses will be full of perfectly legal R22 and other alternative replacements for R22 until at least 2030. And 410A will be available for much longer than that. The protocols that are in effect to stop global warming are there to phase out the production of new, virgin refrigerant. Recycled refrigerants and current inventory will be around much longer after they stop making it. R32, R454B and R466A have been the leaders as possible replacements for the current ones because they have no ozone depletion potential and much less global warming potential. It looks like R454 has emerged as the winner. Leading manufacturers were put in a situation where they had to decide which refrigerant they were going to use that the environmental authorities also approved. The residential codes that just came into effect on January 1, 2020 are already established. No where in them does it approve the use of A2L mildly flammable refrigerants. So some changes are going to have to be made for the codes that begin on January 1, 2023 for that to happen. Training will also be made ready for the transition over to 454B. And certification might be mandatory when that happens. Well now you're up to speed on the new, new refrigerant that the industry will be changing over to. If this is your first time watching our channel, please click subscribe down here in the bottom right. And if you click that little bell next to it, you'll be notified of all of our videos as they come out. Thanks so much for watching and we'll see you on the next video. You're watching Fox Family Heating and Air. Don't forget to subscribe. And check out more of our videos by clicking on the right side of the screen.