Substitutes in Residential and Light Commercial Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps
You may need a PDF reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA’s About PDF page to learn more. Substitutes are reviewed on the basis of environmental and health risks, including factors such as ozone depletion potential, global warming potential, toxicity, flammability, and exposure potential. Lists of acceptableThis designation means that a substitute may be used, without restriction, to replace the relevant ODS within the end-use specified. For example, HCFC-22 is an acceptable substitute for R-502 in industrial process refrigeration. Note that all SNAP determinations apply to the use of a specific product as a substitute for a specific ODS in a specific end-use. and unacceptableThis designation means that it is illegal to use a product as a substitute for an ODS in a specific end-use. For example, HCFC-141b is an unacceptable substitute for CFC-11 in building chillers. Note that all SNAP determinations apply to the use of a specific product as a substitute for a specific ODS in a specific end-use. substitutes are updated several times each year. The list of substitutes is shown below.
Many acceptable substitutes under SNAP may be restricted under the Technology Transitions Program. For more information on Technology Transitions Program restrictions, visit: https://www.epa.gov/climate-hfcs-reduction/technology-transitions-program
Note: SNAP-related information published in the Federal Register takes precedence over all information on this page.
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| Substitute | Trade Name(s) | Retrofit/New | ODPA number that refers to the amount of ozone depletion caused by a substance. The ODP is the ratio of the impact on ozone of a chemical compared to the impact of a similar mass of CFC-11. Thus, the ODP of CFC-11 is defined to be 1.0. Other CFCs and HCFCs have ODPs that range from 0.01 to 1.0. The halons have ODPs ranging up to 10. Carbon tetrachloride has an ODP of 1.2, and methyl chloroform's ODP is 0.11. HFCs have zero ODP because they do not contain chlorine. A table of all ozone-depleting substances (https://www3.epa.gov/ozone/science/ods/index.html) shows their ODPs, GWPs, and CAS numbers. | GWPThe index used to translate the level of emissions of various gases into a common measure in order to compare the relative radiative forcing of different gases without directly calculating the changes in atmospheric concentrations. GWPs are calculated as the ratio of the radiative forcing that would result from the emissions of one kilogram of a greenhouse gas to that from the emission of one kilogram of carbon dioxide over a period of time (usually 100 years). Gases involved in complex atmospheric chemical processes have not been assigned GWPs. See lifetime. | ASHRAEASHRAE is an international organization that establishes standards for the uniform testing and rating of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration equipment. It also conducts related research, disseminates publications, and provides continuing education to its members. Designation (Safety Classification) [1] |
SNAP Listing Date | Listing Status |
| Ammonia Absorption | N | 0 | 0 | B2 | September 5, 1996 | Acceptable | |
| Desiccant Cooling | N | 0 | N/A | N/A | September 5, 1996; June 16, 2010 |
Acceptable | |
| Evaporative Cooling | N | 0 | N/A | N/A | September 5, 1996 | Acceptable | |
| HFC-134a | R/N | 0 | 1,430 | A1 | June 16, 2010: July 21, 2017 |
Acceptable | |
| HFC-32 | N | 0 | 675 | A2L | April 10, 2015; May 6, 2021; April 28, 2023 | Acceptable with Use Conditions: See rules for detailed conditions. | |
| R-417C | Hot Shot 2 | R | 0 | 1,820 | A1 | October 4, 2011 | Acceptable |
| R-125/R-134a/R-600a (28.1/70.0/1.9) | NU-22 old composition | R/N | 0 | 1,990 | A1 | June 16, 2010 | Acceptable |
| R-125/R-290/R-134a/R-600a (55.0/1.0/42.5/1.5) | ICOR AT-22 | R/N | 0 | 2,530 | A1 | March 29, 2006 | Acceptable |
| R-1270 (Propylene) | N | 0 | 1.8 | A3 | December 1, 2016 | Unacceptable, as of January 3, 2017. | |
| R-290 (Propane) | N | 0 | 3 | A3 | April 10, 2015 | Acceptable with Use Conditions: For use in self-contained room air conditioning; see rule for detailed conditions. | |
| R-404A | SUVA HP-62 | R/N | 0 | 3,920 | A1 | December 20, 2002 | Acceptable |
| R-407A | Klea 60, Klea 407A | R/N | 0 | 2,110 | A1 | January 2, 2009 | Acceptable |
| R-407C | Suva 407C, Klea 407C | R/N | 0 | 1,770 | A1 | February 8, 1996; December 20, 2002; August 21, 2003 |
Acceptable |
| R-407F | Genetron Performax LT | R/N | 0 | 1,820 | A1 | October 4, 2011 | Acceptable |
| R-410A | AZ-20, Suva 9100, Puron | N | 0 | 2,090 | A1 | February 8, 1996; December 20, 2002 |
Acceptable |
| R-410B | N | 0 | 2,230 | A1 | February 8, 1996 | Acceptable | |
| R-417A | ISCEON 59, NU-22 | R/N | 0 | 2,350 | A1 | December 6, 1999; June 16, 2010 |
Acceptable |
| R-421A | Choice R-421A | R/N | 0 | 2,630 | A1 | September 28, 2006 | Acceptable |
| R-422B | ICOR XAC1, NU-22B | R/N | 0 | 2,530 | A1 | March 29, 2006 | Acceptable |
| R-422C | ICOR XLT1 | R/N | 0 | 3,390 | A1 | March 29, 2006 | Acceptable |
| R-422D | ISCEON MO29 | R/N | 0 | 2,730 | A1 | September 28, 2006 | Acceptable |
| R-424A | RS-44 | R/N | 0 | 2,440 | A1 | September 28, 2006 | Acceptable |
| R-427A | Forane 427A | R | 0 | 2,140 | A1 | January 2, 2009 | Acceptable |
| R-434A | RS-45 | R/N | 0 | 3,250 | A1 | October 4, 2007 | Acceptable |
| R-437A | KDD6, ISCEON MO49 Plus | R/N | 0 | 1,810 | A1 | January 2, 2009; June 16, 2010 |
Acceptable |
| R-438A | KDD5, ISCEON MO99 | R/N | 0 | 2,270 | A1 | October 4, 2007; June 16, 2010 |
Acceptable |
| R-441A | N | 0 | <5 | A3 | April 10, 2015 | Acceptable with Use Conditions: For use in self-contained room air conditioning; see rule for detailed conditions. | |
| R-443A | N | 0 | 2.5 | A3 | December 1, 2016 | Unacceptable, as of January 3, 2017. | |
| R-507, R-507A | AZ-50 | R/N | 0 | 3,990 | A1 | September 5, 1996; December 20, 2002 |
Acceptable |
| RS-44 (2003 formulation) | R/N | 0 | 2,420 | A1 | June 16, 2010 | Acceptable | |
| THR-03 | R/N | 0 | N/A | A1 | December 6, 1999 | Acceptable with Use Conditions: For use in residential window unit air conditioning. | |
| R-458A | Bluon TdX 20 | R | 0 | 1,650 | A1 | July 21, 2017 | Acceptable |
| R-452B | Opteon™ XL55 | N | 0 | 700 | A2L | May 6, 2021 | Acceptable with Use Conditions: See rule for detailed conditions. |
| R-454A | Opteon™ XL40 | N | 0 | 240 | A2L | May 6, 2021 | Acceptable with Use Conditions: See rule for detailed conditions. |
| R-454B | Opteon™ XL41 | N | 0 | 470 | A2L | May 6, 2021 | Acceptable with Use Conditions: See rule for detailed conditions. |
| R-454C | Opteon™ XL20 | N | 0 | 150 | A2L | May 6, 2021 | Acceptable with Use Conditions: See rule for detailed conditions. |
| R-457A | Forane® 457A | N | 0 | 140 | A2L | May 6, 2021 | Acceptable with Use Conditions: See rule for detailed conditions. |
| R-513A | Opteon® XP-10 | N | 0 | 630 | A1 | December 11, 2024 | Acceptable in self-contained units. |
1 All refrigerants identified as or otherwise meeting the criteria for flammability Class 3 in American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 34–2013 are listed as Unacceptable for use in retrofit unitary split air conditioning systems and heat pumps as of January 3, 2017 (see SNAP Final Rule 21 for more details). All refrigerants meeting the criteria for flammability Class 3 include, but are not limited to, R-170 (ethane), R-290 (propane), R-600a (isobutane), R-1270 (propylene), R-441A, R-443A and refrigerant products sold under the names R-22a, 22a, Blue Sky 22a refrigerant, Coolant Express 22a, DURACOOL-22a, EC-22, Ecofreeez EF-22a, Envirosafe 22a, ES-22a, Frost 22a, HC-22a, Maxi-Fridge, MX-22a, Oz-Chill 22a, Priority Cool, and RED TEK 22a.
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