Which refrigerant is commonly used in commercial HVAC systems?

R-410A is commonly used in commercial HVAC systems due to its efficiency and effectiveness as a refrigerant. This substance is a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) blend that has replaced older refrigerants, such as R-22, especially in new systems. The transition toward R-410A was largely due to environmental regulations that phase out substances harmful to the ozone layer, which were present in older refrigerants.

R-410A operates at higher pressures compared to some other refrigerants, which allows for more effective heat transfer and improved performance in both cooling and heating applications. It also provides better energy efficiency, which is a crucial factor for commercial systems that often run for extended periods.

While R-22 was commonly used in HVAC systems in the past, it is being phased out due to its ozone depletion potential. R-134A, on the other hand, is mainly utilized in refrigeration applications, such as automotive A/C systems, rather than in large commercial HVAC systems. The term "Freon" is often used generically to refer to a class of refrigerants that includes substances like R-22, but it does not specify a particular refrigerant and is not commonly applied in the context of modern commercial HVAC systems.