Quote:
Originally Posted by ithos
Thank you for the response. Very good information. I forgot or never knew that R410A was regarded as flammable. But I researched it and it is considered "non-flammable" where R454b is considered Low flammability.
������ Flammability Precaution Differences:
Precaution Area R-410A (A1 - Non-Flammable) R-454B (A2L - Low Flammability)
I also found some more info:
R-454B: Pros, Cons, & Comparisons to R-410A | Super Radiator Coils
EPA has imposed a deadline of January 1, 2025, after which the manufacture and import of many types of self-contained R-410A systems is prohibited. Consequently, unit manufacturers have been evaluating and deciding on a replacement since the phasedown’s announcement, with several of the largest domestic manufacturers settling on R-454B.
Our test data indicates that R-454B coils will require 10 – 20% additional heat transfer surface to meet the same capacity as and R-410A design.
R410A will be available for many years to come. They are only stopping the manufacturing of R410A equipment and recovered R410A will be mostly recycled. But R410A will experience gradual inflation and may become very expensive in a decade or two. |
Thanks for the correction on 410A. I also found out that even if R454B is leaking, if the air is moving, it won't ignite if an ignition source is presented so it should be safe. R454B is a mixture of R-32 which has been used for years overseas and R1234yf which is currently used in our cars so not much new except for the mixture.
This whole subject on "new freon" I think is a little overblown since as I mentioned we have gone through this many times. And yes, over time, again we don't know how long, R410A will get expensive since it's not manufactured any longer. We will have to wait and see what happens.
If you need to or are planning on replacing your HVAC system I wouldn't stress over the new freon formulation since first there isn't much difference and second there is nothing any of us can do about it. What we do know is over the next couple of years these systems will continue to incease in price for a multitude of reasons.