Free guide: what the AC refrigerant change really means for your home

A 84-page homeowner’s guide, free as a PDF you can read on your phone or print. Fill in the short form and the download opens straight away.

If your AC has quit in a Houston August, or a contractor has just told you the system is “obsolete” and has to go, this guide was written for that moment. Its author set out to check what homeowners are being told about the refrigerant change against what the EPA actually published, and found that most of it is out of date.

What the guide covers

• The deadline that went away. Much of what is still published says older R-410A equipment could not be installed after January 1, 2026. The EPA removed that installation date in May 2026. The guide shows what the rule restricts now, and what it never did.
• What you can still do to the system you own. A failed part on an R-410A system can still be replaced with a new R-410A part. Most homeowners are told their system is on a clock when it is not.
• Why refrigerant quotes disagree. Published 2026 prices run from a few dollars a pound to $150 a pound, and almost none say whether they mean wholesale, refrigerant only, or installed. The guide shows how to tell which one you are being quoted.
• R-454B or R-32, and whether you get to choose. What the new refrigerants are, why they were picked, and why the name on your quote may not be up to you.
• The tax credit that is gone. The federal 25C credit for heat pumps and central air ended December 31, 2025. Some 2026 articles still count it in their math. The guide lists what is still available.
• Sizing, ductwork, efficiency ratings and choosing a contractor, each explained plainly, with the questions to ask before you sign.

In Houston the heat is only half of it. The air conditioner is also what pulls water out of the house, which is why a system that is the wrong size can leave a home cool and clammy at the same time. The guide explains why an oversized unit handles humidity badly, and why a variable-speed system often does more for comfort in a humid climate than a higher efficiency number suggests.

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Also available in paperback, hardcover and Kindle on Amazon: The Refrigerant Changeover: A Homeowner’s Field Guide to R-410A, R-454B, and What Your Repair Quote Actually Means, by Maurice Johnson. General information only, not a quote or a substitute for an on-site inspection.