R-32 Refrigerant: The Low GWP, HFC Refrigerant Replacing R-410a

The US market has begun the transition process to R-32 and low GWP refrigerants. R-32 is the most balanced refrigerant in terms of environmental impact, energy efficiency, safety and cost effectiveness of the refrigerants chosen to replace R-410a. The refrigerant can reduce electricity consumption up to 10% compared to air conditioners that used R-22. The GWP number of 675 is about 1/3 lower and has a lower environmental impact than the GWP of 2088 that R-410a refrigerant has.

R-32 is not a new refrigerant and is one of the most popular refrigerants in the world. R-32 has been in use in Asia and Europe for decades. The country of Japan has had units running on R-32 since November 2012. As of December of 2023, the belief is that approximately 280 million units of R-32 are air conditioners are on the market in the world. achieving the reduction of approximately 450 million tons of carbon dioxide.

While you may not be aware of it, you already have some R-32 in the back of your service vehicle or stored in your warehouse. Remember, that R-410a is made up of both R-32 and R-125 refrigerants. R-32 is also a component in R-407C and is the dominant refrigerant in the new HFO known as R-454b. R-32 has a history and has been well accepted for 10 years on the world stage.

R-32 is a single component refrigerant and not a blend, which makes it easy to recycle and handle. The new HVAC equipment we are using this year because of the Kigali Amendment to the Monreal Protocol are designed to use A2L refrigerants while maintaining safety for technicians and homeowners alike. R-32 will deliver a slightly higher cooling capacity than the other new refrigerant, but the difference is very small. R-32 is easy to handle for installers and service technicians as it can be installed in both liquid and gas phases. Working pressures are similar to the pressures of R-410a. There is no need to worry about fractionation or temperature glide, since the refrigerant only has one component.

The only real downside to R-32 is its flammability rating of A2L (A stands for non-toxic, 2 stands for flammable, and L stands for lightly). Thus, A2L represents: Non-toxic, lightly flammable. If the refrigerant is not handled correctly and there is not sufficient are circulation around the flammability zone, there is a risk of ignition. With proper handling the risk becomes very small.

New guidelines and regulations have been put into place concerning packaging, shipping, handling and warehousing of refrigerants. Below are some of the rules going into effect with these flammable refrigerants.
- All R-32 refrigerant cylinders should have a red stripe near the top indicating this is a flammable refrigerant.
- All R-32 refrigerant cylinders should be stored with the vapor space in contact with the pressure relief device, unless the cylinder is under 1.2L*
- All R-32 refrigerant cylinders over 1.2L or 2.2lbs in weight are required to have a relief valve per DOT regulations. * (Not a rupture disc like the devices on R-410a and other non-flammable HFC refrigerants).
- Upright storage in the warehouse or service vehicle is required to keep the vapor space in contact with the pressure relief valve for safety reasons.
- SDS sheets must be available, on site or on your phone for immediate accessibility.
For other rules and regulations, contact your refrigerant manufacturer.