R-22 and R-410A phase-out: what it means for your repair bill

R-22, often called Freon, is the refrigerant in most older central air conditioners. EPA states that as of January 1, 2020, no new R-22 is made or imported into the United States. The only supply is refrigerant made before 2020 and refrigerant recovered from old systems and cleaned to the same specification as new.

EPA does not require you to replace an R-22 system. You can keep running it and have it serviced. The practical issue is cost. With a fixed and shrinking supply, the refrigerant portion of a repair bill is the part most likely to hurt. The guide to refrigerant recharge cost explains how technicians price it.

EPA is direct on this point: there are no drop-in replacements for R-22. A system can be retrofitted to an approved alternative refrigerant, but alternatives do not work well without changes to system components, and a retrofit can affect energy use. A certified technician must recover the remaining R-22 first.

A retrofit on an old system is a judgment call. You are spending real money on equipment that is already at the age where ENERGY STAR suggests considering replacement. Ask the contractor what parts change, what the manufacturer says about the alternative, and what warranty you get on the work.

R-410A replaced R-22 in new equipment and is in most systems installed over the past decade or so. It is a hydrofluorocarbon, or HFC. The AIM Act directs EPA to phase down HFCs by 85 percent from baseline levels by 2036.

EPA also restricts which refrigerants new equipment can use. For home air conditioners and heat pumps the limit took effect on January 1, 2025. R-410A is above it. New equipment uses lower-impact refrigerants such as R-454B and R-32.

EPA changed one part of this in 2026. A final rule issued in May 2026 removed the January 1, 2026 installation deadline for equipment above the limit that was made or imported before January 1, 2025. EPA says this lets pre-2025 inventory be installed until supply runs out.

Your existing R-410A system is not affected by the installation rule. EPA says you can keep using it and repairing it for its useful life, and a faulty part such as a condensing unit or indoor coil can be replaced with a similar R-410A component. Replacing both the condensing unit and the indoor coil counts as a new system. EPA notes that HFC and component availability may lessen over time.

A refrigerant system is sealed. If it is low, it has a leak. Topping it up without finding the leak means paying for the same refrigerant again later. Ask for a leak search and a repair price before you agree to a recharge. The page on AC refrigerant leaks covers the signs and the repair options.

The refrigerant type shapes the decision:

• R-22 system with a leak. This is the strongest case for replacement, especially if the leak is in a coil.
• R-410A system with a leak. Repair is usually reasonable on a younger unit. Supply is being phased down, so repeated recharges will get more expensive.
• Newer refrigerants. Some are mildly flammable, and a system must be designed for the refrigerant it uses. Refrigerants cannot be mixed or swapped between systems.

The repair or replace calculator counts R-22 as a signal toward replacement.

Read the data plate on the outdoor unit. It names the refrigerant, shown as R-22 or HCFC-22, R-410A, R-454B or R-32. You do not need to open anything to read it. If the plate is faded, the model number and the manufacturer can tell you.