A hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) refrigerant once widely used in residential and commercial air conditioning and refrigeration systems. R-22 was phased out beginning in 2010 due to its ozone-depleting properties, and as of January 1, 2020, new production and import of R-22 is banned in the United States. Existing systems that still use R-22 must rely on reclaimed or recycled supplies. Because of this, servicing old R-22 units is becoming increasingly costly, and most are being replaced with systems that use environmentally safer refrigerants like R-410A or R-32.
Synonyms:
R-22