Under the federal AIM Act, the EPA is phasing down high-global-warming-potential refrigerants. As of January 1, 2025, new residential AC and heat-pump equipment must use a refrigerant with a GWP below 700 — which rules out R-410A (GWP 2,088) and moves new systems to mildly flammable A2L refrigerants such as R-454B (GWP 466) and R-32 (GWP 675).
For a repair, the key point is that this is not a ban on servicing your existing system. R-410A is still legal to handle and buy, and technicians already certified under EPA Section 608 are grandfathered — they do not need a new license to work on A2L systems. What changes is cost: with R-410A production capped, wholesale prices have climbed to roughly $12 to $18 per pound, up from $6 to $10 a couple of years ago, so a recharge on an older unit costs more than it used to.
This is also why a big repair on an aging R-410A system deserves a second look. If a compressor or coil fails out of warranty, the rising cost of R-410A and the fact that new equipment uses a different refrigerant both push the math toward replacement. A2L systems carry their own requirements — because the refrigerant is mildly flammable, systems with more than about four pounds of charge need a built-in leak-detection sensor. An honest shop will explain where your system sits in this transition rather than using it as a blanket reason to sell you a new unit.