Rheem, Lennox Announce Increases in R-454B Unit Pre-Charge Levels

Rheem and Lennox announced this week they will temporarily increase the factory pre-charge of R-454B refrigerant in air conditioners and heat pumps across all brands. The temporary increased refrigerant charge will not raise the price of units.

Other manufacturers have already made changes because of the shortage. Trane and Carrier increased the amount of refrigerant pre-charged in HVAC units to make supplies last longer. Refrigerant-manufacturer Chemours also increased the capacity of R-454B canisters used by technicians.

The capacity increases are in response to current industry shortage of R-454B cylinders, which has driven up prices and created supply chain problems. Refrigerant prices jumped from about $10 a pound to as much as $80 per pound, coming as many contractors are in seasonal maintenance for HVAC units.

Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) says the impact on contractors has left them unable to service existing systems using R-454B, delays in new installations and confusion among customers.

 Phase-out of R-410A disrupted

The shortage is attributed to a surge in demand as R-410A is phased out and replaced by R-454B through the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act (AIM) Act of 2020.The changeover created a backlog of uncontaminated containers because used tanks cannot be reused without risking cross contamination or labeling problems.

Many manufacturers opted for R-32 over R-454B as another factor in the shortage in left-handed threads required for A2L refrigerants.

The refrigerants are not interchangeable, though.

There are also only a handful of manufacturers who make certified refrigerant cylinders and they have been affected by material shortages, shipping delays and backlogs in regulatory certifications.