Can My R-22 Unit be Filled With R410A Refrigerant - Ask the Expert Episode 176

Do you have a heating and cooling system that takes R-22 and need to know if you can replace the R-22 with R-410a? Here's the answer. This question comes from Aaron Papenfuse. "Hey Dan, my Goodman unit says it takes R-22 refrigerant. Does this mean it can't be filled with R410A?" Not necessarily. I don't know what kind of Goodman unit you have, but there are some units that are designed to use R-22 or R410A, but not at the same time. Nothing can use them at the same time because that's not how science works. So, if you've got an R-22 unit and you want to get R410A in it, it might be able to. You just need to make sure to check the specifications to see if it can use R410A. If so, you would need to have someone come out and pump out all the R-22 and properly fill it with R410A. Then it would work. Just remember, you can't have an air handler on R-22 and a condenser on R410A. That's how expensive repair bills get made. WARNING: Keep in mind that when vacuuming out R-22 to replace with R410A, the coil, line set, and compressor all have to be completely free of the old refrigerant. If it isn't, this can cause a black ash to build up inside the system and destroy the compressor. Also, ensure that the manufacturer product specifications explicitly state that the unit is compatible with the refrigerant you are filling it with. If the specifications do not specify compatibility with a certain refrigerant, do not use that refrigerant in the equipment. Have more questions? Just ask them in the comments below or on Facebook or on Twitter.