R-410A vs R-32 vs R-454B: what the refrigerant change means when you buy
If you're shopping for a heat pump in 2026 you'll see three different refrigerants on the spec sheets — and which one a system uses now matters to its future serviceability and cost. Here's the plain-English version, and which brands went which way.
Why the refrigerant suddenly changed
For years, residential heat pumps and AC used R-410A. It works well but has a high global-warming potential (GWP ~2,088). Under the US HFC phasedown (the AIM Act, administered by the EPA), new residential air-conditioning and heat-pump systems must use lower-GWP refrigerants — so from 2025 the industry moved to two A2L ("mildly flammable", low-GWP) refrigerants: R-32 and R-454B. This is the biggest equipment change in the HVAC market in a decade, and it's why two otherwise-similar models can list different refrigerants.
| Refrigerant | GWP (approx) | Type | In plain terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-410A | ~2,088 | HFC (legacy) | The outgoing standard. Still serviceable, but being phased down — refrigerant will get pricier over time. |
| R-32 | ~675 | A2L (single component) | Lower GWP; a single refrigerant, so it can be recharged accurately and topped up more simply than a blend. |
| R-454B | ~466 | A2L (blend) | Lowest GWP of the three ("Puron Advance"); a blend, so servicing needs a full, correct charge rather than casual topping-up. |
GWP figures are widely-published approximate values; A2L = ASHRAE "lower flammability" safety class. Source: EPA — reducing HFCs.
Which brands use which — in the models we track
Manufacturers split on their choice of A2L. Based on the current lines in our data (each cited on its model page): brands that moved to R-32 include Daikin (ENTRA), LG, Gree and Fujitsu; brands using R-454B include Mitsubishi's new FX series, Senville, Cooper & Hunter and MrCool's 5th Gen. A couple of current lines (MrCool 4th Gen, Mitsubishi's FS series) are still R-410A.
| Model | Refrigerant |
|---|---|
| MrCool DIY 4th Gen Single-Zone | R-410A |
| MrCool DIY 5th Gen / Easy Pro Single-Zone | R-454B (2025 low-GWP transition) |
| MrCool DIY 4th Gen Multi-Zone | R-410A (4th Gen) |
| Mitsubishi Electric MSZ-FS / MUZ-FS | R-410A |
| Mitsubishi Electric MSZ-FX / MUZ-FXNLHZ | R-454B (Mitsubishi's 2025 low-GWP transition line) |
| Daikin 19 Series Wall Mount | R-410A |
| Daikin ENTRA Series Wall Mount | R-32 |
| Fujitsu (AIRSTAGE / General) AIRSTAGE Single-Zone Wall Mount | R-32 (current line; older R-410A single-zone models retired). NOTE: popular legacy High-Heat LZAS/RLS3H (R-410A) is discontinued, replaced by R-32. |
| LG Art Cool Premier | R-32 |
| Senville LETO Series | R-454B (current LETO/AURA; older stock may be R-410A) |
| Pioneer Diamante Series | R-410A (older Pro/base 115V) AND R-454B (newer 230V models) — verify per SKU |
| Gree Sapphire | R-32 |
| Gree Livo | R-32 |
| Cooper & Hunter MIA Series | R-454B (current MIA NG/NY) / R-410A (older stock) — verify per SKU |
Refrigerant per SKU is changing over actively — always confirm the exact model's refrigerant before buying; see each model page for the cited source.
What it means for you as a buyer
- Don't fear A2L — it's the new normal. R-32 and R-454B are the residential standard now; installed to code they're safe. Avoiding them just means buying the outgoing generation.
- A new R-410A unit in 2026 is the older standard. It'll be serviceable for years, but plan for rising R-410A refrigerant cost over the unit's life.
- R-32 is a single component; R-454B is a blend. Both are fine; the practical difference is at service time (a blend must be fully, correctly charged — it can't be casually topped up).
- It's an installer question too. A2L systems have specific handling and code requirements — one more reason most systems are professional (EPA-608) installs. See our DIY-vs-pro guide.