16/06/2026
If you work in HVAC, or you're responsible for a building with air conditioning, this image might resonate.
R410A - the gas that's been the industry standard for twenty years. Everyone knows how to handle it, it's in most of the equipment already installed. And right now, the price is shooting up, again.
R32 - lower GWP, where the industry is heading, the default now for small split installs. But it's mildly flammable, so it carries compliance costs that aren't always applicable to an equivalent install using R410a.
But the thing is, neither side of those scales tells the whole story. R410A isn't simply the expensive gas you need to ditch. R32 isn't simply the cheap, green alternative. The real picture is messier, and the real picture depends on your building, your system, and what actually matters to you; cost isn't always the most important factor. But sometimes it is.
Over the coming posts we're going to dig into what's happening — the regulation, the pricing, the manufacturer decisions, and what it all means if you're planning a new install, a refurb or you're responsible for existing equipment.
In the next post we'll start where the image leaves off — unpacking the actual relative merits of the two gases, including the environmental case that often gets lost in the cost and safety debate.
If you're interested, or need HVAC advice, feel free to contact me directly:- [email protected]
