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The Difference Between R-22 & 410A Freon

DuPont Freon refrigerants are so widespread that the name is often mistakenly used to describe all refrigerants. With refrigerants, it's numbers that count, not names. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) uses the letter R followed by a scientifically derived sequence of numbers to designate refrigerants for identification purposes. Freon 22 is the DuPont brand of R-22 refrigerant, while their brand of R-410A is called Suva 410A. Other companies such as Arkema and Honeywell also produce R-22 and R-410A. Although these refrigerants have different names, they posses similar properties and therefore share ASHRAE designation numbers.
  1. Significance

    • In accordance with the Montreal Protocol international treaty and the Clean

      Air Act, the refrigerant R-22 is being systematically phased out. As a hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), R-22 is less destructive to the ozone layer than chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants like R-12. However, R-22 still has an ozone depletion potential (ODP) of .055, whereas the goal is to change to sustainable hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants with an ODP of zero, such as R-410A.

    R-22

    • R-22 is the ASHRAE designation for chlorodifluoromethane. This widely used single-component HCFC refrigerant is found in residential and commercial air-conditioning, refrigeration and many other cooling applications. It has an A1 safety rating. Mineral, alkylbenzene and polyester oils may all be used with R-22. The refrigerant has a boiling point of -41.3 F and a critical temperature of 204.8 F. It is charged into systems as a vapor or liquid.

    R-410A

    • R-410A was developed as a replacement for R-22. It is a blend of the ozone-friendly HFC refrigerants difluoromethane and pentafluoroethane, ASHRAE designations R-32 and R-125 respectively. The resulting blend is considered near azeotropic, meaning that it behaves almost like a single-component refrigerant. It can be used in many of the same applications as R-22, but is not a retrofit replacement for existing systems. R-410A has an A1 safety rating. Polyester oils are used for system lubrication. The refrigerant has a boiling point of -61.9 F and a critical temperature of 162 F. R-410A must be charged as a liquid to avoid changing the composition of the blend.

    Considerations

    • Although it was developed as a replacement for R-22, R-410A should not be used in equipment designed for R-22. R-410A has a higher working pressure and refrigerating capacity. In fact, R-410A should only be used with systems specifically designed for it, including service equipment.