Q.01

When was R-22 (HCFC-22) phased out in the US, when does India complete its HCFC phase-out, can R-22 still be used or bought, and what are the replacement refrigerants?

The US stopped production and import of new R-22 (HCFC-22) on 1 January 2020, after banning the manufacture and installation of new R-22 equipment from 1 January 2010. India has to complete its HCFC phase-out by 2030, with a small allowance for servicing existing equipment from 2030 to 2040. In the US you can still use R-22 to service existing systems and buy recovered, recycled or reclaimed supply, but no new R-22 is made or imported. The usual replacements in new air conditioners were R-410A, then R-32 and R-454B as US rules from 2025 restrict R-410A.

Approach: The dates and replacement details below come from EPA, India's Ozone Cell/MoEFCC and UNEP Ozone Secretariat pages, as shown in web search snippets rather than full documents. The UNEP Montreal Protocol substance list and India's ODS Rules Schedule I cover the substance's identity and ozone-depleting potential (ODP) but not phase-out dates.

Regulatory identity

  • Montreal Protocol: HCFC-22 (CHF2Cl) is in Annex C, Group I. Its ODP is 0.055 and its 100-year global warming potential (GWP) is 1810 [1].
  • India: It is S.No. 22 in Schedule I of the Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, Group VI, ODP 0.055 [2].

US phase-out (EPA)

  • 1 January 2010: EPA banned the manufacture and installation of new HCFC-22 appliances. You can no longer buy a new central AC unit that uses R-22. A second-hand or pre-2010 window-type unit can still be bought.
  • 1 January 2020: Production and import of new HCFC-22 ended. The only exceptions are export and uses where the substance is converted into another chemical or destroyed.

Can R-22 still be used or bought in the US?

  • Using it: Existing R-22 systems may keep being serviced for as long as needed. EPA does not require owners to convert them to another refrigerant.
  • Buying it: Servicing now relies only on recovered, recycled, reclaimed or stockpiled R-22. Reclaimed gas must be cleaned to the same specification as new refrigerant.
  • "R-22a" warning: EPA says this product has been falsely marketed as R-22 or a replacement for it. It is a flammable hydrocarbon blend (mainly propane and butane) and is not an acceptable alternative for home AC systems.

India

  • India is running an HCFC Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) to phase out HCFCs by 2030, except a small amount for servicing old equipment.
    • Stage I ran from 2012 to 2016 and delivered the 2013 freeze and the 10% cut due in 2015.
    • Stage II ended the use of HCFC-141b in rigid foam manufacturing.
    • Stage III runs from 2023 to 2030 to meet the 2025 and 2030 targets. Under it, HCFC use in manufacturing new equipment is phased out by 31 December 2024.
  • Under the Montreal Protocol schedule for developing countries (Article 5 parties), the cuts are 10% by 2015, 35% by 2020 and 67.5% by 2025, with full phase-out by 2030. From 2030 to 2040, an annual average of 2.5% is allowed, only for servicing equipment that existed on 1 January 2030.

Replacement refrigerants (US EPA)

EPA says there is no true "drop-in" replacement for R-22: alternatives need changes to system components.

RefrigerantGWPStatus for home and light commercial AC and heat pumps
R-410A(not checked)Most common replacement in new systems; accepted by EPA. From 1 January 2025 its manufacture and import in these AC products is prohibited under EPA's GWP 700 limit.
R-32 (HFC-32)675 [3]Accepted for new equipment since 10 April 2015, with conditions (A2L, mildly flammable). Below the GWP 700 limit.
R-454B(not checked)EPA's expected transition refrigerant for home AC units.
HFC-134a1430 [4]Accepted for retrofitting existing systems.
R-417C, R-437A, R-438A, R-441A(not checked)Also listed as acceptable, some only for specific uses such as self-contained room AC.
  • GWP 700 deadline: It applies to new installations from 1 January 2025. Systems built from components made or imported before that date could still be installed until 1 January 2026.
  • R-32 and HFC-134a are themselves controlled: Both are HFCs listed in the Kigali Amendment's Annex F because of their GWP [3][4].
  • May 2026 update: EPA published an updated fact sheet on these rules in May 2026, which I did not review.

I can look up India's replacement-refrigerant rules or the HFC phase-down next if that's useful.

Sources:

Q.02