Frequently Asked Questions on Refrigerants:
R-404A
Yes, it is. The Environmental Protection Agency just announced in July of 2015 that R-404A will begin being phased out across the country. Like most phase outs this will occur in phases over the course of many years. The EPA has listed R-404a as unacceptable in newly manufactured machines for the years 2017 and 2019 depending on the application.
New supermarket refrigerant systems will no longer be able to use R-404A as of January 1st, 2017. Vending machines get a little bit more time, their deadline is January 1st, 2019. So far, supermarkets and vending machine refrigeration units are the only ones affected with the new EPA ruling but this will be subject to change and it won’t be long until all R-404A is phased out entirely across the country across all applications.
In fact ThermoKing and Carrier Transicold have already begun transitioning away from R-404A and into less Global Warming Potential alternatives such as R-452A. Coca-Cola has already begun outfitting all of their vending machines with Carbon Dioxide refrigerant rather than R-404A as well.
I’ll give R-404A to around years 2020-2021 before it’s completely gone from the market place and replaced with more environmentally friendly alternatives.
You can read more about the EPA’s new July, 2015 ruling by clicking here.
As of 2015 no, but that may change. 404A is an HFC refrigerant and does not harm the O-Zone layer so therefore you do not need to have any kind of certification to purchase. However, HFC refrigerants are slowly being phased out due to their high global warming potential. Nothing official has been declared yet but it won’t be long until HFCs are regulated just as CFCs and HCFCs are.
UPDATE as of December of 2016:
It is important to note that as of January 1st, 2018 you WILL need to be certified to purchase HFC refrigerants such as 410A, 134a, and 404A. Click the link on the bottom of the article for the exact wording from the EPA’s website.
EPA’s website on 608 and 609 sales restriction.
There are numerous places to purchase R404A refrigerant but before you start digging into which vendor to use and which pricing to look for you need to ask yourself one question. How many cylinders am I looking to purchase? If you’re looking to purchase just one or two cylinders then I would recommend you shop on E-Bay. E-Bay gives you the ease of business, customer protection, and a competitive cost.
You could try other online websites but to be honest there is risk involved in dealing with a website that you are not familiar with. I like E-Bay as it is customer orientated. If the seller messes up you get your money back. E-Bay makes the sellers do the work and protects their buyers. There’s a reason they’ve been so successful.
If you are looking to purchase ten, twenty, or even forty cylinders of R404A then I would recommend visiting our Bulk Purchasing page and filling out a bulk order request form. Once we received the completed notification we will send out an alert to our contacts in the refrigerant distribution industry. Our distributors will then contact you with the most competitive price that they can offer and it will be up to you on which supplier to go with. This service provides you with competitive real time costs as well as giving you a number of highly rated suppliers to choose from.
One thing to note is that with some refrigerants you need to either be 608 or 609 Environmental Protection Agency certified in order to purchase. With R-404A you will need to provide a 608 certification in order to purchase. This recently changed, as before 2018 you did not need a certification license.
If you are a purchaser looking to buy in bulk quantities such as five, ten, or more cylinders then please visit our bulk purchasing page to receive a quote.
As of January 1st, 2018 you will need a section 608 type 2 certification with the Environmental Protection Agency. This was changed due to the high Global Warming Potential that 404A has. It is known as a ‘supergas’ and contributes highly to Global Warming. For more information on how to obtain a 608 license click this link to be taken to our refrigerant licensing guide.
Thanks for reading,
Alec Johnson
R-404A Refrigerant or R404/R404A Refrigerant is a mixture of chemicals similar to other HFCs such as R-410A or R-134A. R-404A isn’t as popular as the 410A or the 134A it’s main applications are for refrigerated trucks, grocery store freezers, and ice machines. It’s main purpose is to serve as a replacement for R-22 and R-502 Refrigerant as both of these CFCs will be phased out entirely by 2020. Since R-404A Refrigerant is classifed as an HFC refrigerant you do NOT need a licence wit the EPA to purchase it.
It is important to note that since 404A is an HFC refrigerant with high global warming potential that it will most likely be phased out over the next few years. New HFO refrigerants will be replacing HFCs in America around the year 2020.
Yes! With past refrigerants such as R-12 and R-22 you needed to be licensed to handle the refrigerant as they caused damage to the O-Zone layer and a laymen could inadvertently cause a leak of the cylinder.
R-134A, R-404A, and R-410A are HFC refrigerants which do NOT cause damage to the O-Zone layer but they do have extremely high greenhouse gas emissions. While you can still purchase them today it is important to note that as of January 1st, 2018 you WILL need to be certified to purchase HFC refrigerants such as 410A, 134a, and 404A. Click the link on the bottom of the article for the exact wording from the EPA’s website.
EPA’s website on 608 and 609 sales restriction.