A reference list of refrigerants which is intended to provide an indication of the basic characteristics,
properties and applications for a variety of refrigerants along with some replacement options was
prepared upon the recommendation of HRAI’s Task Team on the Future of Refrigerants.
This list is intended to assist contractors as a convenient reference when selecting suitable
replacement/substitute refrigerants for those refrigerants (CFC and any HCFC) which are being phased
out. While refrigerant manufacturers may indicate some products are suitable for retrofit applications,
the contractor will need to consider the application in order to determine the extent of system
modifications that may be required to accommodate the replacement refrigerant. Currently, one must
verify with the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to determine compatibility of alternative
refrigerants with the equipment, or have a Professional Engineer sign off. Unless otherwise specified,
few if any replacement refrigerants in the table are certified as a direct drop‐in replacement, in fact
most are certified for new equipment only and are not suitable for retrofit applications. Contractors
would still have to determine which products are suitable for their particular application, if equipment
replacement or retrofit options exist, which system modifications may be required and choose
accordingly. Depending on the age of the existing equipment and the extent of system modifications
required to accommodate an alternate refrigerant, it may prove to be more cost effective in the long
run to replace equipment outright. As the phase down of certain refrigerants causes them to become
scarcer, decreasing availability and increasing cost can be expected to result in the change‐out of entire
systems to more energy efficient equipment and environmentally friendly refrigerants. Contractors must
keep in mind as they transition to equipment using more environmentally friendly refrigerants that
many of the replacements available today are, or will soon be, scheduled to be phased down. Products
such as R‐404A and R‐507A will be phased down over the first few years due to their high Global
Warming Potential (GWP).
The list is intended to make contractors aware of the possible alternatives for the products that they
may find are becoming increasingly expensive and/or difficult to source. Choosing equipment that
operate on the least damaging refrigerants will extend the expected effective lifespan and reduce the
overall operating costs of the system. Keep in mind that although there may be several replacement
options, not all replacements will be suitable for all applications.
The information contained is derived from various sources, and is not intended to be a comprehensive
listing, but rather more of a guide to understanding of the relative merits and hazards of a) refrigerants
scheduled to be phased down, as well as b) some of their potential replacements.
Glossary of Terminology
Refrigerant Classes:
A non toxic
B toxic
1 no flammability
2L very low/lesser flammability (hard to ignite, slow burning)
2 low flammability
3 high flammability
Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP): This is a relative indication of the effect of the substance on breaking
down the ozone layer. Products are measured by comparing their effect on the ozone layer in relation to R-11,
which is set to 1.0. The ODP for R-22 is 0.05, which is 20 times less than R-11.
Global Warming Potential (GWP) : this is the relative indication of the amount of heat trapped in the
atmosphere by a certain mass of the gas in question relative to the amount of heat trapped by a similar mass
of carbon dioxide. It is expressed as a factor of carbon dioxide, whose GWP is standardized to 1. The GWP for
R22 is 1810 , which is eighteen hundred times more than CO2.
Refrigerant types:
CFC Refrigerant: CFC refers to the chemical composition of the refrigerant. Chlorofluorocarbon indicates
that the refrigerant is comprised of Chlorine, Fluorine, and Carbon. Common CFC refrigerants are R-11, R-12,
R-13, R-113, R-114, and R-115. A blend that contains a CFC and any other product is still considered a CFC
refrigerant.
HCFC Refrigerant: HCFC refers to the chemical composition of the refrigerant. Hydrochlorofluorocarbon
indicates that the refrigerant is comprised of Hydrogen, Chlorine, Fluorine, and Carbon. Common HCFC
refrigerants are R-22, R-123, R-124, and R-142b. A blend that contains both an HCFC and HFC is considered
an HCFC refrigerant.
HFC Refrigerant: HFC refers to the chemical composition of the refrigerant. Hydrofluorocarbon indicates
that the refrigerant is comprised of Hydrogen, Fluorine, and Carbon. Common HFC refrigerants are R-32, R-
125, R134a, R-143a, and R-152a. A blend that contains different HFCs is considered an HFC refrigerant.
HFO Refrigerant: HFO refers to the chemical composition of the refrigerant.. (HFOs are organic
compounds composed of hydrogen, fluorine and carbon. HFO refrigerants are categorized as having zero
ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential) and low GWP (Global Warming Potential) and so offer a more
environmentally friendly alternative to CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs.
HC Refrigerant: Chemically speaking, a hydrocarbon [HC] is an elementary compound of hydrogen and
carbon which occurs naturally and is found in large concentrations in crude oil. Used as a modern
refrigerant, non-toxic hydrocarbons are an ecofriendly alternative to the CFC/HCFC/HFC fluorocarbons
linked to ozone damage and global warming potential.
In general:
CFC Chlorofluorocarbon ozone depleting
HCFC Hydrochlorofluorocarbon less damaging to ozone (relative to CFC)
HFC Hydrofluorocarbon not ozone depleting, however high GWP
PFC Perfluorocarbon not ozone depleting, however high GWP
HFO Hydrofluoroolefin low GWP
If you have any comments, please contact either Mark Rippon mrippon@hrai.ca or Caroline Czajko
cczajko@hrai.ca
