R22 Replacement & System Upgrades
R22 is an older refrigerant gas that was widely used in air conditioning systems installed before around 2010. Its production and import have been banned across the EU and UK for years now due to its ozone-depleting properties, and — critically — it’s no longer legally available even for topping up an existing system with a leak. If your system is old enough to be running R22, a leak effectively means the end of that unit’s working life.
How to tell if your system uses R22
Older units, generally installed before 2010, are the ones most likely affected. The nameplate on the outdoor unit typically states the refrigerant type — if in doubt, this is a simple thing to have checked without committing to any work.
What happens if an R22 system develops a leak
Because R22 can no longer be legally purchased for recharging existing equipment, a leaking R22 system generally can’t simply be topped up and carry on — the practical options are a full system replacement, or in rare cases a retrofit to a different refrigerant, which isn’t always technically viable or cost-effective compared to straightforward replacement.
What to upgrade to
Modern systems commonly use R32, which has a substantially lower global warming potential than the R410A that replaced R22 in the 2000s, and is generally cheaper to run. Newer refrigerants like R454B are also entering the market. A straightforward like-for-like replacement is usually simpler and often no more expensive than attempting a partial retrofit of old equipment.
Why act before it fails
Planning a replacement on your own timeline — rather than during an emergency breakdown in the middle of summer — generally means better system sizing, more choice of installation dates, and avoiding the inflated urgency pricing that can come with an emergency callout.
Air Conditioning Repair Breakdown · Air Conditioning Installation · R22 Air Conditioning why older systems need replacing