Understanding A2L Refrigerants for Air Conditioners
A discussion of refrigerants that will replace R-410A
Refrigerants used in air conditioners are changing … again. The last round of changes took place between the mid-1990s through 2010, as CFC and HCFC refrigerants were phased out and largely replaced by HFCs. This transition was a global effort under an international treaty known as the Montreal Protocol (MP) that addressed the destructive effects these compounds had on the ozone layer. This latest change is also in response to an environmental crisis, but the transition is well under way. As of today, more than 68 million air conditioners globally are already using new refrigerants with a safety group classification of A2L.