HARDI says the HVACR industry is essentially finished with its transition to low-GWP A2L refrigerants in central ducted systems — and the numbers back it up. According to HARDI’s latest Unitary Market Intelligence Report, A2L equipment made up 91% of distributor sales in September, a massive jump from the single-digit adoption we saw at the end of 2024. HARDI CEO Talbot Gee says the shift happened “fast,” with distributors and contractors moving decisively toward next-generation refrigerants. But now the focus turns to a new challenge: what happens to remaining R-410A inventory still sitting on distributor shelves. Under EPA’s current Technology Transition Rule, some categories of 410A equipment can’t be installed after specific deadlines — even if that equipment was manufactured before the cutoff and purchased legitimately. That puts distributors at financial risk.

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