In short: The EU F-gas Regulation (EU) 2024/573 phases out fluorinated refrigerants with a high global warming potential (GWP) in new heat pumps and air conditioners. The key dates for homes: from 1 January 2027 new monobloc units up to 50 kW and new split air-to-water heat pumps up to 12 kW may no longer use refrigerants with a GWP of 150 or more; for split air conditioners (air-to-air) up to 12 kW that date is 1 January 2029; and from 2032 (monobloc) and 2035 (split) small units may no longer contain F-gases at all. These are bans on placing new equipment on the market. Your existing heat pump or air conditioner may stay in use and can be serviced and repaired.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Based on Regulation (EU) 2024/573 (EUR-Lex) and the European Commission's overview of prohibitions for stationary air conditioning and heat pumps. Exceptions apply where safety standards rule out low-GWP refrigerants; check the regulation for the exact wording.
Why refrigerants are regulated
Heat pumps and air conditioners move heat with a refrigerant. Many common refrigerants are hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are powerful greenhouse gases if they leak. The GWP figure expresses how strongly a gas warms the climate compared with CO2. R410A, long the standard in split air conditioners, has a GWP of about 2,000; R32, now common, is several hundred; natural refrigerants such as propane (R290) or CO2 (R744) are in single digits.
The 2024 regulation replaced the earlier F-gas Regulation from 2014. It tightens the quota of HFCs that may be placed on the EU market each year, down to zero by 2050, and adds product bans with fixed dates.
Dates for heat pumps and air conditioners in homes
| Equipment (new, placed on the market) | Prohibited from | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Single split air conditioners and heat pumps with less than 3 kg of F-gas | 1 January 2025 | GWP of 750 or more |
| Self-contained (monobloc, plug-in) units up to 12 kW | 1 January 2027 | GWP of 150 or more |
| Self-contained units above 12 kW and up to 50 kW | 1 January 2027 | GWP of 150 or more |
| Split air-to-water heat pumps up to 12 kW | 1 January 2027 | GWP of 150 or more |
| Split air-to-air systems (air conditioners) up to 12 kW | 1 January 2029 | GWP of 150 or more |
| Split systems above 12 kW | 1 January 2029 / 1 January 2033 | GWP of 750 or more / GWP of 150 or more |
| Self-contained units up to 12 kW | 1 January 2032 | any F-gas |
| Split systems up to 12 kW | 1 January 2035 | any F-gas |
Most of these bans contain an exception where safety requirements at the installation site do not allow a refrigerant below the threshold; in that case a higher limit applies. In practice, manufacturers are moving monobloc heat pumps to propane (R290) and many split units will follow.
What this means for the unit you already have
- You may keep using it. The bans apply to placing new equipment on the market, not to equipment already installed.
- It can be serviced and repaired. Replacing a fan motor, a sensor, a circuit board or even a compressor is a repair. Work on the refrigerant circuit must be done by a technician certified under the F-gas rules in your country.
- Refrigerant availability may tighten. Because the HFC quota shrinks, older refrigerants can become more expensive over time. Leak checks and good maintenance protect you against having to top up.
- Spare parts remain relevant. Many repairs on heat pumps and air conditioners concern electrical and mechanical parts, not the refrigerant: fans, circuit boards, sensors, motors and compressors. Our guide Heat pump and air conditioner compressor explains when a compressor is worth replacing.
Buying a new heat pump or air conditioner
If you are buying new equipment before the 2027 or 2029 dates, units with R32 can still be placed on the market until the ban date for their category. After that date, new units of that kind with a high-GWP refrigerant may no longer be placed on the EU market. For a long-term purchase, a unit with a low-GWP refrigerant avoids questions about future refrigerant prices. Propane units need installation that follows the safety rules for flammable refrigerants; your installer will take care of that.
The F-gas rules work alongside other EU rules for heating: subsidies for stand-alone fossil boilers have ended (see EU heating rules), and a carbon price on heating fuels follows from 2028 (see ETS2 and heating costs). Instalpunt does not install equipment; we supply spare parts and products.
Parts for heat pumps and air conditioners from brands such as Daikin, Atlantic, NIBE, Stiebel Eltron and Haier are on the brand pages and in the spare parts catalogue.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to replace my R410A or R32 air conditioner?
No. The F-gas Regulation bans placing certain new equipment on the market. Existing units may stay in use and can be serviced and repaired by a certified technician.
When are split heat pumps with R32 banned?
New split air-to-water heat pumps up to 12 kW with a refrigerant GWP of 150 or more may not be placed on the market from 1 January 2027. For split air-to-air air conditioners up to 12 kW the date is 1 January 2029. Safety-related exceptions apply.
When will F-gases be banned completely in small units?
From 1 January 2032 for self-contained units up to 12 kW and from 1 January 2035 for split systems up to 12 kW, again with exceptions where safety requirements make alternatives impossible.
Can I still get spare parts for my heat pump after 2027?
Yes. The bans concern new equipment, not spare parts. Availability of a specific part depends on the manufacturer.
Who may work on the refrigerant circuit?
Only technicians certified under the F-gas rules of your country. Electrical and mechanical parts outside the refrigerant circuit are a different matter, but for safety a qualified installer should do the work.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2024/573 on fluorinated greenhouse gases, EUR-Lex: eur-lex.europa.eu
- European Commission, Stationary air conditioning and heat pumps (alternatives and prohibitions): climate.ec.europa.eu
- European Commission, F-gas legislation overview: climate.ec.europa.eu