R22 phase out dates in the US, India and UK, and what replaced it

R22 phase out dates, availability and replacements

The US R22 phase out ended production and import of HCFC-22 on 1 January 2020, but you can still service an existing system with recycled, reclaimed or previously produced refrigerant. India must reach zero HCFC consumption from 2030, with a 2.5% servicing average until 2040. The UK has banned HCFC servicing since 2015.

R-22 is the refrigerant name for HCFC-22 (chlorodifluoromethane, CHF2Cl), also called Freon 22. Under the Montreal Protocol it is an Annex C, Group I substance with an ozone depletion potential of 0.055 and a 100-year global warming potential of 1,810.

When was R22 phased out in the US?

EPA's Class II phaseout schedule under the Clean Air Act sets these steps for HCFC-22:

Virgin HCFC-22 may be used as a refrigerant only in equipment made before 1 January 2010 (40 CFR 82.15(g)(2)(i)). And nobody may sell or distribute a pre-charged appliance or component made on or after that date that contains HCFC-22 (40 CFR 82.306). From 2020 the HCFC-22 production and consumption allowances in 40 CFR 82.16 are 0%.

The 2010 step restricted virgin refrigerant and pre-charged equipment. It did not require owners to stop using existing R-22 systems.

Is R-22 still available in the US?

Yes, for existing systems. EPA's homeowner FAQ says "EPA does not require homeowners to replace their existing equipment." Since 2020, "only recycled, reclaimed, or previously produced HCFC-22 can be used to service existing equipment" (EPA). EPA expects reclaimed R-22 plus pre-2020 stock to meet the needs of existing systems "well beyond the phaseout date." Its 2020 fact sheet confirms that you can keep using R-22 in an existing system.

Under EPA's Section 608 sales restriction, only Section 608 certified technicians can buy refrigerant for stationary air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment (40 CFR 82.154(c)). Nobody servicing or disposing of a system may knowingly vent the refrigerant (40 CFR 82.154(a)(1)).

You can no longer buy a new central AC unit that runs on R-22. EPA's FAQ still allows purchases of second-hand or pre-2010 window units.

What replaced R22 refrigerant?

EPA's FAQ says "there are no 'drop in' replacements for HCFC-22." Alternatives need changes to system components. A retrofit must use a substitute that EPA's SNAP program lists as acceptable. EPA does not require owners to convert. Avoid "R-22a": EPA says it is flammable, falsely marketed and not an acceptable alternative.

EPA's SNAP list for residential and light commercial AC and heat pumps includes these options:

R-410A is a replacement for new equipment, not an R-22 retrofit refrigerant. SNAP acceptance alone does not permit every use. From 1 January 2025, new residential and light commercial AC and heat pumps cannot use a refrigerant with a global warming potential of 700 or greater, per EPA's Technology Transitions sector table. R-410A, at 2,090, is over that line for new systems. Existing R-410A systems are not affected. R-32 and R-454B are under the limit, if the SNAP use conditions are met.

There is no installation deadline for systems where all specified components were manufactured or imported before 1 January 2025. EPA had required installation by 1 January 2026. That date is gone. The final rule published on 26 May 2026, effective 27 July 2026, lets pre-2025 inventory be installed until it runs out (EPA fact sheet).

India's HCFC phase-out by 2030

India is an Article 5 (developing country) party. Under Article 5 of the Montreal Protocol its HCFC consumption must reach zero from 2030, except for a limited servicing allowance. That allowance averages no more than 2.5% of baseline from 2030 to 2040, for equipment existing on 1 January 2030. So 2030 is not a hard stop for every cylinder.

India wrote that schedule into the ODS (Regulation and Control) Amendment Rules 2014. Against the 2009-2010 baseline, the cap is 65% from 2020, 32.5% from 2025, 2.5% from 1 January 2030 and zero from 1 January 2040. Manufacture of HCFC air-conditioners has been banned since 1 January 2025. Servicing existing refrigeration and AC equipment with HCFC-22 stays legal until 1 January 2040, inside those caps. India banned imports of AC and refrigeration equipment containing HCFCs on 1 July 2015.

The Ozone Cell's 2026 success story report says HCFC use in manufacturing had already stopped by 31 December 2024. In Stage II, six air-conditioning manufacturers phased out 1,140 MT of HCFC-22 and now make HFC-32 units. India met the 67.5% cut in HCFC production and consumption (PIB, September 2025).

The India Cooling Action Plan describes room ACs moving from HCFC-22 and R-410A to low-GWP refrigerants. Makers produce HFC-32 units commercially, and India was the first country to produce air conditioners with R-290 commercially. HFC-32 has a GWP of 675. It is an Annex F HFC, controlled under the Kigali Amendment for warming, not ozone depletion. India's HFC freeze starts in 2028.

UK rules on R-22

The gov.uk guidance says you must not use ODS in new equipment "or to service existing equipment", except recycled halons for critical uses. You can still run an R-22 system as long as it does not leak. Under Regulation 1005/2009, Article 11(3), reclaimed HCFCs were allowed for servicing only until 31 December 2014. Technicians who work on HCFC equipment need specific qualifications, such as City and Guilds 2078, 2079-11 or 2079-12.

An R-22 split system that loses charge in Manchester cannot be recharged with R-22 under UK guidance. In Houston, EPA allows servicing with recycled, reclaimed or previously produced HCFC-22.

RegAffairs AI's answer to this question cites the source documents.