Under the HCFC phaseout, what changed for R-22 starting January 1, 2010?
Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol · EPA 608 Core. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.
Phaseout dates and the venting prohibitions at servicing, at disposal and for substitutes.
The question
Under the HCFC phaseout, what changed for R-22 starting January 1, 2010?
- It could not be produced or imported for new equipmentCorrect answer
- It could no longer be used to service any existing systems
- It was reclassified as a substitute refrigerant
- It could only be sold to Type III technicians
Why “It could not be produced or imported for new equipment” is correct
The R-22 phaseout came in steps. From January 1, 2010, R-22 could not be produced or imported for charging newly made equipment, while production for servicing existing systems continued until January 1, 2020.
Source: EPA: Test Topics
Why the other answers are wrong
- It could no longer be used to service any existing systems — Servicing existing systems with R-22 is still allowed today.
- It was reclassified as a substitute refrigerant — R-22 is an HCFC, a class II ozone-depleting substance, not a substitute.
- It could only be sold to Type III technicians — R-22 is mainly a high-pressure refrigerant; Type III covers low-pressure equipment.
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