Difference between R410A and Refrigerant R22

The difference between R410A and refrigerant R22 – R410A and R22 are the most popular refrigerants for cooling appliances. Both of them are chemicals and have the role of cooling the compressors so that they operate optimally. Still, there are some differences between them as well.

If you have decided to do your aircon maintenance yourself, here is an article that tells how these refrigerants differ. We hope this will allow you to choose the option that fits your needs better. Read on – Difference between R410A and refrigerant R22.

1. Chemical structure

The first difference that we would like to talk about is the composition. R22 consists of one chemical, called Chlorodifluoromethane. It is an element that was popular back in the 20th century up until environmentalists discovered its negative impact on the ozone layer of the atmosphere.

It was in the ’90s when R22 started slowly to lose ground to new refrigerants that claimed to deal less damage to the environment. One of the new-generation refrigerants was R410A, which consists of 3 chemicals.

The fact that 3 elements make up the R410 structure impacts its behavior and way of charging. However, it is worth mentioning that both refrigerants behave similarly during a leak. Their leak doesn’t entail any negative consequence and doesn’t damage the compressor and other aircon parts.

2. Charging

When it comes to charging, it differs given different composition of two refrigerants. R410A has 3 components that have distinct molecule size and distinct pressure. When a leak occurs, each ingredient behaves in its own way, leaking at different rates. That’s why, R410A recharging must take place only in liquid mode.

Also, you can’t fill the refrigerant container to the brim, given the differing pressure of component chemicals. As for R22, things are not that complicated and there is less to worry about when it comes to charging. Since it consists of one element, you can recharge R22 both in liquid and vapor modes.

3. Effectiveness

Having appeared earlier on the market, the next-generation refrigerant R410A shows better effectiveness. It provides a significant pressure that is 50% higher than in systems operating with R22. This, in turn, improves the performance of appliances, giving them more power and the ability to run longer.

4. Price

Since R410A makes appliances operate more effectively, this refrigerant is more expensive. Another reason for its high price is that it is ozone-safe. Its composition causes no harm to the ozone layer which protects the planet from UV rays. Its price now is stable considering that it is the leading refrigerant in the industry of cooling devices.

Things are getting tricky when it comes to R22 price. While its poorer effectiveness should normally trigger a lower price, it became even more expensive over the last years. It has to do with the Montreal Protocol where countries agreed to gradually remove R22 from use. After this event, the demand for R22 got significantly lower than supply, which prompted an artificial price increase.

5. Maintenance

Maintaining an R410A system is more difficult than a R22 system. It is more complex and its composition with differing pressure triggers more maintenance concerns.

6. Safety

Well, generally R410A is safer than R22, given that it doesn’t destroy the ozone layer. Environmentalists repeatedly blamed R22 for causing damage to the atmosphere. This is the main reason R22 becomes less and less popular these days. Some may argue though that R22 is safer, given that it behaves more predictably during leaks and charging.

Indeed, R410A can become more dangerous, but only when you use it wrongly. It is always reasonable to take into account the absolute necessity of charging R410A only in liquid form. And never charge it top off given its higher pressure. Otherwise, a leak may appear when you least expect it.

Difference between R410A and refrigerant R22 – Conclusion

To sum up, considering all differences that we have discussed here, it becomes clear that the R410A refrigerant is better. It is environment-friendly and boosts the performance of compressors. Its components do not adopt an unpredictable behavior during leaks and do not damage the aircon parts.

The only disadvantages of R410A are more maintenance efforts and higher prices. This is something obvious, considering the added value your compressor receives. R22 has a fuss-free charge but it loses ground on many other aspects. After all, it is not reasonable to buy a product whose price is constantly fluctuating and who damages the atmosphere.