I have two 20 year old units that I have been nursing along for a couple of years now. I am at the point where I really need to replace the upstairs unit. I have several competitive quotes from some reputable installers in my area and am pretty settled on who I would go with.

My question is around the transition from R-410a to R-454b in 2025. For anyone in the industry, should this transition impact anything about my purchasing decision?

Should I:

1) Try to nurse my existing units until 2025 and invest in the new equipment so that the refrigerant is available and cheap over the life of the unit?

2) Replace both units now as the new equipment coming seems likely to be more expensive with more points of failure?

3) Dont worry about the change, replace the one that needs replacing and worry about the other one when it breaks?

I am leaning toward #3, but I have heard some wildly different opinions on the topic so looking for more input.

Agree with TruService in my heart but
My systems only go ~20years with ever escalating repair costs, hard to find, etc.
So IF you had the money now, not sure later when items cost more THEN replace both ASAP.

It's the cheapest man that spends the most, I have learned from personal experiences BUT
our new Variable speed system pampers us like NONE ever did ... I'm talking decades of experiences.
More details upon demand.

Thanks for the input all. After talking to my AC guy again, I may actually bite the bullet and replace both units now. There is some savings in doing the install for both together.

Everything I have seen and heard in my research is that there will be a meaningful increase in cost on the R-454b units. I probably dont have but another year or two max on my other unit so I figure doing both now will save me a few thousand dollars.

I like how the geniuses at the EPA decided that the risk of a fire hazard in millions of home was less important than the phantom hole in the ozone layer.

akaggie05 said:

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I have no meaningful contribution other than to highlight my general displeasure with us all having to switch from R22 to save the planet, only to be told 20 years later that the miracle refrigerant R410a is also no good for said planet, and to pivot yet again to something else. This seems like basic science that somebody whiffed on. collusion by industry and regulators.

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FIFY

I have not really seen any significant financial benefit to replacing both at the same time. Also, replacing a perfectly good unit (downstairs) will not necessarily pay dividends as a new install unit is not guaranteed to be any more reliable. I would go with option 3 and just replace the upstairs.

I have heard that the new refrigerants work at lower pressures than R-410a, so theoretically the equipment would be more reliable. Any idea if that's true or not?

MGS said:

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I have heard that the new refrigerants work at lower pressures than R-410a, so theoretically the equipment would be more reliable. Any idea if that's true or not?

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I believe they're only slightly lower than are those for 410A.

We oldtimers miss R-22. Now those were nice and low pressures.

FWIW, the purified propane refrigerant, R-290, works just like R-22, but sure is flammable.

TruService HVAC said:

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Quote:

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Guess what else magically went away, the hole in the ozone.

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It is in the process of going away because the world got together and banned CFCs,... FFS, its an example of regulation working exactly as it is intended and idiots like you go "the solution to the problem was exactly what they said it would be,... so there must not have actually been a problem..."

You sound stupid. Its not a conspiracy. The problem was exactly what they said it was. The solution was exactly what they said it was.

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Maybe R32 but not R454B. R454B has almost the exact pt scale as R410a. It's going to be a hot mess when we get mixed R410a and R54B as I'm not sure yet how we will be able to tell. Back in the R22 to R410a conversion days it was pretty clear when you came across a mixed system and I personally came across a few.

MGS said:

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I have heard that the new refrigerants work at lower pressures than R-410a, so theoretically the equipment would be more reliable. Any idea if that's true or not?

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