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HFC Rules in 2026: What the AIM Act Means for HVAC Techs

By HVAC Cheat Sheet Team · Updated · 3 min read

Refrigerant rules have changed a lot in the past two years, and some of what techs heard in 2024 and 2025 is no longer true. Here's where things stand as of November 2026.

Rules keep changing, and some states (like California and New York) have their own requirements. Check current federal and state rules for your area.

1. The HFC phasedown (supply)

The AIM Act (2020) directs EPA to cut HFC production and imports in steps, to 85% below baseline by 2036. It limits how much new HFC refrigerant is made or imported, not whether you can use it. Fewer pounds available means rising prices for refrigerants like R-410A over time.

2. Technology Transitions (new equipment)

  • New residential and light commercial AC and heat pump systems must use refrigerants under a 700 GWP limit. That's why manufacturers moved to R-454B and R-32.
  • What changed in 2026: on May 21, 2026, EPA finalized changes that removed the January 1, 2026 installation deadline for pre-2025 R-410A residential and light commercial equipment. Earlier, EPA had said it would deprioritize enforcing that deadline. The same rule pushed back several commercial refrigeration deadlines.
  • R-410A service is not affected. Existing R-410A systems can be repaired and recharged with R-410A. You can't retrofit them with an A2L, and you can't put R-410A in an A2L system.

3. Emissions Reduction & Reclamation (leaks and reclaim)

As of January 1, 2026, EPA's ER&R rule added leak-repair requirements for HFCs:

  • Applies to appliances with a full charge of 15 pounds or more of an HFC refrigerant (or a substitute with GWP above 53). The old Section 608 rule kicks in at 50 pounds, and only for ozone-depleting refrigerants.
  • Leak rate thresholds: 10% for comfort cooling, 20% for commercial refrigeration, 30% for industrial process refrigeration.
  • Above the threshold, the owner generally has 30 days to repair it and verify the repair, plus follow-up inspections and recordkeeping.
  • Reclaimed refrigerant may contain no more than 15% virgin HFC by weight.
  • Automatic leak detection is required only on large commercial and industrial refrigeration systems (1,500 pounds or more).

Most single-family systems hold well under 15 pounds, so the leak-repair rules hit light commercial rooftop units, multi-zone and VRF systems, chillers and refrigeration much more than houses.

What this means on the truck

  • Keep both R-410A and A2L capability: gauges with A2L profiles, A2L-rated recovery and vacuum equipment, A2L leak detectors.
  • Never mix refrigerants, and never drop an A2L into an R-410A system.
  • On larger HFC systems, document every pound added. Owners need it for leak-rate calculations.
  • Expect R-410A prices to rise as supply shrinks.

FAQ

Is R-410A banned in 2026?

No. Making new residential R-410A systems is restricted, but existing systems can be serviced with R-410A, and EPA removed the deadline for installing pre-2025 R-410A equipment.

Do residential systems fall under the 15-pound leak rule?

Most single-family systems hold less than 15 pounds, so usually not. Larger light commercial and multi-family systems often do.

Do I need a new certification for A2L refrigerants?

Not at the federal level. Your EPA 608 certification covers them. See our EPA 608 guide.

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