Servicing R-22 Systems in 2026: Recharging, Retrofits and Repair-or-Replace

Most R-22 systems still running are 15 to 30 years old. They show up on service calls every summer, and the refrigerant decisions matter more on them than on anything else you'll touch.

What the rules allow

• Production and import of new R-22 ended in the U.S. on January 1, 2020.
• Servicing existing systems is allowed. You can use recovered and reclaimed R-22, or R-22 produced before 2020.
• Venting is never allowed. Recover it like any other refrigerant; you need EPA 608 certification to buy and handle it.
• New R-22 systems can't be made. "Dry" condensers sold to be charged in the field with R-22 were also restricted years ago.

See HFC rules for technicians for the newer rules on R-410A and the systems that replace it.

Before you add R-22

1. Confirm it's R-22 on the data plate and service valves.
2. Check airflow and the condenser first. See superheat vs. subcooling.
3. Find the leak. Topping off an R-22 system without a leak search is the most expensive thing you can do for the customer. See how to find a refrigerant leak.
4. Use the R-22 PT chart: the R-22 PT chart gives saturation temperatures for superheat and subcooling.
5. Give the customer the cost up front, including the leak repair, before charging.

Retrofit refrigerants

Several refrigerants are sold for converting R-22 systems. They are not drop-ins: each has its own procedure, and results vary by system.

All of these are blends with glide, so charge as liquid and use dew and bubble points. See how to read a PT chart.

Retrofit steps in general:

1. Record baseline readings with R-22 if the system runs.
2. Recover all R-22. Never mix refrigerants.
3. Change oil if the refrigerant maker requires it; some retrofits require several oil changes.
4. Replace the filter drier, and check whether the TXV or piston needs changing or adjusting.
5. Evacuate to a deep vacuum. See how to pull a deep vacuum.
6. Charge the new refrigerant as liquid, starting below the original R-22 weight as the refrigerant maker's guide directs, then adjust by superheat or subcooling.
7. Label the system with the new refrigerant and oil so the next tech doesn't add R-22.

Repair or replace?

Give the customer the numbers: the cost of the repair and refrigerant, the age of the system, and what a new system costs. Many shops use a rule of thumb like age × repair cost compared with the price of a new system, but the decision is the customer's.

Common mistakes

• Topping off without finding the leak.
• Mixing a retrofit refrigerant with leftover R-22.
• Calling a retrofit refrigerant a "drop-in" to the customer.
• Not labeling a retrofitted system.
• Using R-410A or R-454B PT values on R-22 or a retrofit blend.
• Skipping the oil question on retrofits that need POE.

FAQ

Sources

• EPA: Phaseout of ozone-depleting substances (HCFC-22)
• EPA: Section 608 refrigerant management requirements