Part of the Best 10 Singapore Glossary › Tech & Gadgets › Refrigerant
Refrigerant is the chemical compound that circulates through your air conditioning system to absorb heat from indoor air and release it outside. In Singapore, the two most common refrigerants in residential aircons are R22 and R410A.
R22 vs R410A
| R22 (Freon) | R410A (Puron) | |
|---|---|---|
| Status in Singapore | Phased out (NEA regulated) | Current standard |
| Environmental Impact | High — ozone depleting | Lower — non-ozone depleting |
| Gas Top-Up Cost (SG) | $150–$300+ (scarce) | $80–$150 |
| Found In | Aircons made before ~2010 | All modern aircons |
When Do You Need a Gas Top-Up?
Refrigerant doesn’t get “used up” — if your aircon is low on gas, it means there’s a leak in the system. Simply topping up gas without fixing the leak is a temporary fix. Signs of low refrigerant include: aircon not cooling, ice forming on the coil, and hissing sounds from the unit.
If your unit uses R22, a gas leak is a strong signal to replace the aircon entirely rather than repair it — R22 is expensive, increasingly scarce, and these units are typically over 10 years old.
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