Indian R32 / R290 / R454B Refrigerant Transition — ASHRAE 34/15 + ISO 5149 + IEC 60335-2-40 + EN 378

By /
MEP Consultant · Refrigerant Selection · 12 May 2026

Indian R32 / R290 / R454B Refrigerant Transition — ASHRAE 34/15 + ISO 5149 + IEC 60335-2-40 + EN 378

Published: 09 May 2026Updated: 12 May 2026Original figures: 9

Indian refrigerant transition from R22 + R410A to R32 (GWP 675 A2L) + R290 (GWP 3 A3) + R454B (GWP 466 A2L) + R744 CO2 (GWP 1) + R717 NH3 follows ASHRAE 34 + ASHRAE 15 + ISO 5149 + IEC 60335-2-40 + EN 378 + AHRI 700. India 2030 market split projected R32 30 % + R454B 10 % + R290 5 % + R744 3 % + NH3 5 % + HFO blends 2 %. Three failures: A2L risk-assessment skipped at retrofit, R290 charge limit > 150g residential exceeded, reclaim purity per AHRI 700 not verified.

Indian R32 / R290 / R454B transition framework

India HFC transition — Daikin + Mitsubishi + Voltas + Blue Star + LG + Hitachi + Samsung introduce R32 + R290 + R454B alternatives to legacy R22 + R410A. Each refrigerant has different toxicity + flammability + GWP + COP characteristics. Standards stack — ASHRAE 34 (refrigerant classification) + ASHRAE 15 (safety) + ISO 5149 (refrigeration safety) + IEC 60335-2-40 + EN 378 + BEE Star + Kigali + EU F-gas + IS 5111 (refrigerant identification).

Refrigerant selection matrix — Indian HVAC + refrigeration applications

Refrigerant ASHRAE 34 class GWP Application Indian status Future
R22 (HCFC) A1 1810 Legacy residential AC Phase-out 2030 Discontinued
R134a (HFC) A1 1430 MAC + chillers Active Phase-down
R410A (HFC) A1 2088 Commercial AC Active Phase-down 2025-30
R407C (HFC) A1 1774 Replaced R22 Active Phase-down
R404A (HFC) A1 3922 Commercial refrigeration Active Phase-out by 2030
R32 (HFC) A2L (mildly flammable) 675 Residential + light commercial Growing Long-term
R454B (HFO+HFC blend) A2L 466 Commercial AC Emerging Long-term
R454C (HFO+HFC) A2L 148 Refrigeration Emerging Long-term
R1234yf (HFO) A2L 4 MAC + low-charge AC Active Long-term
R1234ze (HFO) A2L 7 Chillers Active Long-term
R290 propane A3 (flammable) 3 Light commercial + DHW Emerging India Long-term
R600a isobutane A3 3 Domestic refrigerator Active India Long-term
R744 CO2 A1 1 Commercial refrigeration + HPHT Emerging Long-term
R717 ammonia (NH3) B2L (toxic+flammable) 0 Industrial refrigeration Active India Long-term

Indian refrigerant transition timeline (% market share by 2030)R22 HCFC5% shareR134a15% shareR410A25% shareR3230% shareR454B/C10% shareR2905% shareR744 CO23% shareR717 NH35% shareHFO blends2% shareRefrigerant capex premium (% vs R410A baseline)R22 retrofit (drop-in)5% premiumR32 conversion8% premiumR454B conversion12% premiumR290 (full re-design req)35% premiumR744 CO2 (full re-design)55% premiumR1234ze chiller18% premiumR717 NH3 industrial25% premium

Three Indian refrigerant transition failures

  1. A2L mildly flammable risk-assessment skipped — R32 + R454B are ASHRAE 34 class A2L (mildly flammable). EN 378 + ISO 5149 + ASHRAE 15 require charge-limit + leak-detection + ventilation per zone. Indian retrofits often skip — face fire-NOC + insurance.
  2. R290 propane in residential — charge limit ignored — IEC 60335-2-40 caps R290 to 150g per circuit (residential) + 1000g (commercial) due to flammability. Indian retrofits sometimes exceed — explosion + worker injury risk.
  3. Reclaimed refrigerant analysis missing — reclaimed refrigerant must meet AHRI 700 purity. India reclaim infrastructure inadequate. Specify on-site analyser per ASHRAE + EU F-gas + AHRI 700.
// References + Standards
  1. ASHRAE 34:2022 — Refrigerant Designation + Safety Classification.
  2. ASHRAE 15:2022 — Safety Standard for Refrigeration Systems.
  3. ISO 5149-1/2/3/4:2024 — Refrigerating + Heat Pump Systems Safety.
  4. IEC 60335-2-40:2018 + 2022 — Safety of Heat Pump Air Conditioner.
  5. EN 378-1/2/3/4:2024 — Refrigerating Systems Safety + Environmental.
  6. IS 5111:2008 — Refrigerant Identification BIS.
  7. AHRI 700:2024 — Refrigerant Specifications.
  8. BEE Star + Kigali + EU F-gas + USA AIM Act.
// Related Reading
By MEPVAULT Editorial Team — A team of practising MEP consultants based in India. ISHRAE-affiliated; FSAI-aligned.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top