# The A2L Refrigerant Transition: What Businesses Should Expect | Commercial Refrigeration Oklahoma City

> The AIM Act, 2025 GWP limits, and A2L refrigerants like R-454C and R-455A — what changes for new commercial refrigeration and your existing equipment.

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Home Refrigerant Leak Detection & Repair The A2L Refrigerant Transition: What Businesses Should Expect Learn The A2L Refrigerant Transition: What Businesses Should Expect The AIM Act, 2025 GWP limits, and A2L refrigerants like R-454C and R-455A — what changes for new commercial refrigeration and your existing equipment. Published 2026-09-07 · By Commercial Refrigeration Oklahoma City Under the EPA AIM Act and its Technology Transitions rule, new commercial refrigeration equipment must use refrigerants below set global-warming-potential (GWP) limits — a 150 GWP limit for many new stand-alone units and a 300 GWP limit for many new remote and rack systems, with compliance dates beginning January 1, 2025. In practice, that means new equipment ships with A2L refrigerants such as R-454C, R-455A, or R-457A. Existing equipment can keep running. What “A2L” means Refrigerant safety is classified by toxicity (A = lower, B = higher) and flammability (1 = none, 2L = mild, 2 = flammable, 3 = higher). A2L = lower toxicity, mildly flammable. A2Ls have a low burning velocity and need a sustained ignition source and a specific concentration to burn — but the equipment and service practices still change to account for it. What changes for new equipment Refrigerant: R-404A (GWP ~3,900) is out for most new units; A2Ls (GWP ~145–150) are in. Charge limits per circuit, based on room size and equipment type. Built-in leak detection that can shut the system down and run ventilation. Ignition-source management in the equipment design. Markings and labeling for A2L. What it means for your existing equipment Nothing forced. You can operate and service existing R-404A, R-448A, R-134a, and even R-22 equipment as long as you can get refrigerant. The transition matters when you’re deciding whether to repair or replace — a replacement now puts you on the long-term refrigerant and avoids another change later. See repair or replace . What to ask your contractor Are your technicians trained and equipped for A2L (A2L-rated recovery machine, gauges, leak detectors)? If I replace this unit, what A2L refrigerant will it use, and does my space meet the charge and ventilation requirements? Can you service both my legacy equipment and new A2L equipment? Commercial Refrigeration Oklahoma City works across legacy refrigerants and the A2L transition, and factors it into every repair-or-replace conversation. Regulatory summary for general information; EPA rules and equipment listings control. Confirm specifics for your equipment and jurisdiction. Bottom line If this is your situation in the Oklahoma City metro, a technician can confirm it on site and quote a flat diagnostic before any work. Call (405) 725-9148 — a live person answers 24/7. Call (405) 725-9148 Related service Refrigerant Leak Detection & Repair Low charge means a leak. We find it with an electronic detector and nitrogen, repair it, evacuate properly, and charge by weight, per EPA Section 608, not a top-off that fails. See the service Refrigeration down now? 24/7 dispatch across the OKC metro. Flat diagnostic quoted first. (405) 725-9148 Get a firm price for your situation Send the equipment and symptom. A technician calls back with the flat diagnostic and next window. Leave this field empty What needs service? Select equipment… Emergency Commercial Refrigeration Repair Walk-In Cooler Repair Walk-In Freezer Repair Reach-In Cooler & Freezer Repair Commercial Refrigerator Repair Commercial Ice Machine Repair Refrigeration Compressor Replacement Refrigerant Leak Detection & Repair Refrigerated Display Case Repair Walk-In Cooler & Freezer Installation Commercial Refrigeration Preventive Maintenance Something else Business ZIP code Continue Your name Business name Phone Email (optional) What's happening? Back Send request Prefer to talk now? Call (405) 725-9148 — answered 24/7. Answers Quick answers What are A2L refrigerants? A2L is a safety classification for refrigerants that are mildly flammable and low-toxicity. Common commercial-refrigeration A2Ls include R-454C, R-455A, and R-457A. They have much lower global-warming potential than R-404A, which is why new equipment is moving to them under the EPA AIM Act. Do I have to replace my existing R-404A equipment? No. The rules apply to new equipment manufactured or imported after the compliance dates. You can keep operating and servicing existing equipment. Plan replacements with A2L in mind. Does A2L equipment need special service? Yes — A2L systems have leak-detection, ventilation, and ignition-source requirements, charge limits, and require A2L-rated recovery equipment and gauges. Use a contractor trained and equipped for A2L. Keep reading More guides in this area EPA Section 608 Refrigerant Rules: What Businesses Should Know What EPA Section 608 requires of your refrigeration contractor and your equipment — technician certification, leak-rate thresholds, repair deadlines, and recordkeeping. R-22 Phase-Out: What It Means for Your Commercial Cooler R-22 hasn't been made or imported since 2020. What a recharge costs now, whether to retrofit, and when replacement is the better money. Commercial Refrigeration Oklahoma City — commercial refrigeration across the OKC metro A live person answers 24/7. Flat-rate diagnostic quoted before a technician rolls. Call (405) 725-9148 Get a callback