Now that the R-22 refrigerant is becoming discontinued, there have been some highly flammable replacements for air conditioning systems, such as the R-22a. These dangerous refrigerants are a potential fire hazard for homeowners and technicians. Should there be a leak in the home, residents are exposing themselves to a possible fire or explosion. Many technicians, who are unaware of this problem, use service equipment that is not designed for these products. Inadvertent mixing of recovered gases may contaminate a technician’s bulk recovery cylinder, which needs to be disposed of instead of being reclaimed.
The approved replacement refrigerants by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have a list of acceptable refrigerants listed here. The EPA also has a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) section regarding R-22a, which you can read here.
Source, PHCC: http://www.phccweb.org/NewsPublication/content.cfm?ItemNumber=13617
