R32 refrigerant

Common HFC refrigerant, GWP implications and servicing requirements.

R32 is the refrigerant designation for HFC-32, or difluoromethane. It is used in many air-conditioning and heat-pump products, including split and factory-sealed monobloc equipment. It carries heat around the sealed circuit; it does not mix with the water in an air-to-water heating system.

R32 is a single-component HFC refrigerant rather than the blend used in R410A. Under the Great Britain F-gas regime, DEFRA lists its global warming potential as 675. That is lower than R410A’s listed value of 2,088, but it is not a near-zero-GWP refrigerant and remains within the HFC phase-down and F-gas controls.

Its safety class is A2L: lower toxicity with lower burning velocity. “Lower flammability” does not mean non-flammable. Product design, charge limits, room conditions, ignition control and the tools used for service all have to account for that classification.

What F-gas rules mean in practice

In Great Britain, a person needs the appropriate qualification to install, service, maintain, leak-check, recover refrigerant from or decommission stationary equipment containing F-gas. The category of qualification determines which activities and charge sizes the person can cover.

This matters most visibly with a split system because the installer makes refrigerant connections on site. A factory-sealed R32 monobloc may be connected hydraulically without opening its refrigerant circuit, but later work that does open or recover that circuit remains F-gas work.

Qualification is only one part of competence. R32 work also needs A2L-suitable recovery equipment, leak detection, ventilation, control of ignition sources and the correct pressure-test and evacuation procedure. The exact requirements come from the equipment instructions, applicable standards and the task risk assessment.

R32 is not a replacement gas for an old system

R32 must not be used as a drop-in substitute for R410A, R407C or another refrigerant. Systems are designed around particular pressures, oils, components, safety controls and charge limits. Changing the refrigerant can make the equipment unsafe and invalidate its conformity and performance evidence.

A suspected leak should be located and repaired by a qualified person. Simply adding refrigerant without dealing with the cause is not a repair. Recovery, charging and record-keeping must follow the applicable F-gas rules and product instructions.

The nameplate and service documentation should identify the refrigerant and factory charge. Split-system documents should also record additional refrigerant added for the installed pipe length.

Is R32 banned?

No general statement that “R32 is banned” is accurate in Great Britain.

As at 22 July 2026, the specific product ban that began in 2025 covers single-split systems containing less than 3 kg of F-gas where the refrigerant GWP is above 750. The GB regulatory GWP assigned to R32 is 675, so R32 is not caught by that particular threshold. Other product categories, future policy changes and HFC supply controls still need checking when equipment is selected.

This dated point explains the current position without predicting how long every R32 product will remain on the market. An existing lawful system does not become unserviceable merely because lower-GWP equipment is increasingly available, although refrigerant availability and future service strategy are reasonable ownership questions.

R32 compared with R290

R290 propane has much lower direct climate impact and falls outside F-gas controls, but it has the higher-flammability A3 classification. It is commonly contained in an outdoor monobloc with a manufacturer-defined protection area. R32 has A2L lower flammability but carries HFC climate and regulatory obligations.

Neither refrigerant alone determines heat-pump efficiency, sound, water temperature or reliability. Those depend on the complete product and operating condition. The comparison should therefore use certified output and performance data for the same design temperatures, then consider siting, charge, competence and future service support.

Refrigerant and commissioning records

The handover information should make clear:

that the equipment contains R32 and what the nameplate charge is
any additional charge added on site
who commissioned the circuit and their relevant certification
leak or fault warnings and what the owner should do
ventilation, access or ignition-related restrictions around the equipment
the maintenance and end-of-life recovery route

The practical rule for an owner is simple: do not disturb the refrigerant circuit. A loss of heating, icing pattern, oil mark, error code or suspected leak should be investigated by a suitably qualified engineer rather than treated as a top-up job.

Applies to

Heat

Last reviewed

22 Jul 2026