Definition
Refrigerant is the fluid sealed inside an air conditioner or heat pump that carries heat from one place to another, absorbing it as it evaporates in one coil and releasing it as it condenses in the other. It is not consumed in normal operation. Common residential refrigerants include R-22, R-410A, R-32 and R-454B.
Also called: Freon (trade name)
Why it matters to you
In a heat pump the refrigerant does the work year-round, carrying heat indoors through the long SW Washington heating season and out again in summer. A system's refrigerant type shapes repair and replacement options during the federal shift away from R-410A, and a system that needs more refrigerant has a leak.
Practical guidance
Find the refrigerant type on the outdoor unit's data plate, usually beside the factory charge, without removing any panels. Adding, recovering or testing the refrigerant charge requires an EPA Section 608-certified technician.
About this definition
Written by the Home Energy Group team — a family-owned HVAC company celebrating 25 years of comfort & care across SW Washington and the Portland metro, licensed in Washington (WA LIC# HOMEEGI003J7) and Oregon (OR CCB# 184255). Definitions inform; an on-site diagnosis decides.
