What Refrigerant Do New AC Units Use in 2026?

New residential air conditioners and heat pumps installed in North Texas in 2026 use A2L refrigerant, and most ship with R-454B (sold under the trade name Opteon XL41, branded Puron Advance in Carrier-family equipment), with R-32 as the other common option. Trusted Heating & Air Conditioning services both R-410A and new R-454B (A2L) systems across Collin County and Plano, so whether you’re keeping an older unit alive or pricing a replacement, here is what changed, why, and whether the new refrigerant is actually safe in your house.

If you already own an R-410A system, nothing about this changes what’s running in your backyard. R-410A is not banned, and a working unit stays legal to run, service, and recharge in 2026. This rule governs what factories can build going forward, not what you already have installed.

What refrigerant do new AC units use now

Every residential split-system AC and heat pump manufactured for the US market since January 1, 2025 uses a refrigerant with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) under 700, as of 2026. Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Goodman, Daikin, and York/Johnson Controls all moved their mainstream residential lines to R-454B (GWP about 466). Lennox uses R-32 (GWP about 675) on some of its ductless mini-split systems. If a system was built this year, it runs one of these two refrigerants. There is no third option on the new-equipment side.

Why the refrigerant change happened

The EPA’s Technology Transitions Rule, authorized under the 2020 AIM Act, caps the GWP of refrigerant in newly manufactured residential and light-commercial AC and heat pump equipment at under 700. R-410A carries a GWP of roughly 2,088, nearly three times the new ceiling, so it can no longer be used in equipment built or imported from January 1, 2025 onward. Manufacturers needed a refrigerant that cooled as well as R-410A while clearing that bar, and R-454B and R-32 were the two that qualified at scale. For the fuller regulatory timeline, including the May 2026 EPA rule that lets contractors keep installing pre-2025 R-410A units until existing stock runs out, see the full breakdown of the R-410A phase-out for North Texas homeowners.

How R-454B and R-32 compare

Both refrigerants clear the GWP-under-700 requirement and both carry the same A2L safety classification. The practical differences show up in equipment design and manufacturer choice, not in comfort you’d notice in the house.

Neither R-454B nor R-32 is “better” in a way that should decide your purchase. The brand and model you’re buying will already have picked its refrigerant, and both perform within a normal efficiency range for DFW’s heavy summer run-time.

What A2L mildly flammable actually means

Both R-454B and R-32 carry an A2L rating under the industry’s ASHRAE 34 refrigerant safety standard. The “A” means lowest toxicity. The “2L” means lower flammability, one step above the non-flammable rating R-410A carries, and several steps below genuinely flammable gases like propane. An A2L refrigerant needs a specific ignition source and a fairly narrow concentration in air to burn, and it does not sustain a flame the way a higher-flammability refrigerant would. That is the entire reason regulators approved it for residential use in the first place.

The label still changes how the equipment is built and serviced. Code now requires A2L systems to include leak detection sensors that shut down the unit or trigger ventilation if refrigerant escapes indoors, and technicians need A2L-rated tools and training to braze, charge, or evacuate the system safely. None of that makes the equipment unsafe in a finished home; it means the installer has to follow a different, code-mandated procedure.

Does A2L change installation cost or safety in your home

The safety side is handled at the manufacturer and code level, not something a homeowner has to manage day to day. A correctly installed A2L system includes the required leak sensor and ventilation response built in, the same way a gas furnace includes a flame sensor and shutoff. You won’t interact with any of it unless something is actually wrong, and at that point the system is designed to respond on its own.

On cost, the leak-sensor hardware and A2L-specific labor add a real line item to a new install, on top of the equipment itself. There’s no fixed number to quote here since pricing moves with system size, ductwork, and current refrigerant availability, but current R-454B installation costs in DFW breaks down what drives that number for a typical Collin County home. A licensed contractor should show you that line item on the quote rather than folding it into a lump sum.

Can you retrofit an R-410A system to R-454B or R-32

No. R-454B and R-32 are not drop-in replacements for R-410A, and you cannot top off an R-410A system with either one. The refrigerants operate at different pressures, need different compressor oils, and often require different metering devices, so mixing them risks damaging the compressor and voids the manufacturer’s warranty. If your existing R-410A system needs a recharge, it gets recharged with R-410A, which remains available for service in 2026, just at a higher and rising price as production quotas step down.

This is also why “converting” an old unit to the new refrigerant isn’t a real option a contractor can offer you. The only way into an A2L system is a new, A2L-designed unit built for it from the ground up. If you’re weighing whether that’s worth doing now versus later, whether to replace before the refrigerant change walks through that decision without the manufacturing rule as a false deadline.

What this means if you are buying an AC in 2026

If you’re shopping for a new system this year, the practical question isn’t whether to accept A2L. Every current-production residential unit on the market runs R-454B or R-32, so a “new” system with R-410A would have to be leftover equipment manufactured before January 1, 2025, and that inventory is shrinking and getting more expensive as it does. The real decision in front of most 2026 buyers is which brand and which A2L system fits their home’s tonnage and duct layout, not which refrigerant era to buy into.

How to vet a contractor for A2L installation

A2L handling is a real, code-driven skill difference, and it’s worth confirming before you sign anything.

• Ask whether the technicians are EPA Section 608 certified and specifically trained on A2L brazing, charging, and leak-sensor commissioning.
• Ask to see the leak-detection component called out as its own line on the written quote, not bundled into “installation.”
• Ask whether the permit and inspection process reflects A2L code requirements for your city.
• Confirm the contractor’s Texas TDLR license number and check it directly on the TDLR website; that’s true for any bidder. License TACLA152199C is active through June 2027 and searchable there.
• If anyone tells you your working R-410A system is “illegal” or “about to be banned,” treat that phrase as the red flag it is and get a second opinion before signing anything.

We’re owner-operated, EPA Section 608 certified, and BBB A+ accredited, and we install and service both refrigerant generations across Collin County and Plano. If you want a written, itemized quote on an A2L system for your home, or you have questions about a refrigerant claim another contractor made, call (945) 333-4822.

Ready to fix it right? get a free replacement assessment or call (945) 333-4822.