What EPA's new coolant requirement means for your AC unit

What EPA's new coolant requirement means for your AC unit

The U.S. EPA now requires a more environmentally friendly refrigerant, R-454B, for new HVAC units.

HOUSTON - This year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began requiring the use of new, more environmentally friendly refrigerants in new HVAC units, R-454B and R-32.

R454-B or R-32 required for new HVAC units

A shortage of R-454B is already being reported.

This means current refrigerants, like R-410A, will be phased out.  While technicians say there is still a supply of R-410A, and they can still install units that use it through this year, over time it will become harder to find parts to repair older units that work with this refrigerant.

What you can do:

Technicians recommend having your unit serviced to repair any problems before they can become worse, and owners of older units may want to consider replacing them.

We talked with Joe Bany with John Moore Services about how to navigate the refrigerant change to ensure you stay cool through the summer.