Heights Plumbing, Heating & Cooling replaces aging R-22 air conditioning systems and installs new equipment built for R-454B, the lower-GWP refrigerant that current residential AC and heat pump equipment is designed around. Plenty of homes in Bergen and Essex County are still cooled by R-22 systems installed in the 1990s and 2000s, and every summer a few more of them lose their charge and hit a wall.
This is a transition with real technical requirements: R-454B is classified as mildly flammable, and it calls for matched equipment, leak-detection sensors and installers trained to handle it. Our team is licensed under NJ HVAC Lic. #197400, our engineers size the new system for the house rather than the old nameplate, and you approve a firm price before any work begins.
An R-22 System Is Running on Borrowed Refrigerant
Production and import of R-22 in the United States ended in 2020. What remains is reclaimed stock — refrigerant recovered from retired systems — and it is scarce and expensive. If your system needs a recharge, you are paying a premium for a product that gets harder to find each season, on a unit that already has a leak or it would not need the charge in the first place.
The next generation of equipment complicates the picture further. R-410A, which replaced R-22, is itself being phased down under the EPA’s AIM Act. New residential AC and heat pump equipment manufactured from 2025 onward uses A2L refrigerants, mainly R-454B. That means the reasonable move for an R-22 homeowner is not a stopgap R-410A unit but a system built for the refrigerant that will be supported for the long run.
What Our R-22 Replacement and R-454B Installation Includes
R-454B cannot be put into an R-22 or R-410A system. The pressures, oils, coil metals and metering devices are different, so moving to it means a new condenser and a new matched indoor coil — in most homes, the whole system. We start with a load calculation, because a house that has had new windows, insulation or an addition since the original install almost never needs the same tonnage it had before. Oversizing a modern system leaves a humid, short-cycling house, and we see that mistake often on jobs where someone simply matched the old label.
On installation we recover the old refrigerant properly, remove the old condenser and coil, and evaluate the line set: A2L systems have specific requirements, and an old line set with kinks, brazed repairs or contaminated oil is usually replaced. We install the new condenser, coil and the refrigerant leak-detection sensor the equipment requires, complete the electrical disconnect and wiring with our own team, pull a deep vacuum, weigh in the charge and commission the system. We also service R-410A and older systems that are still worth keeping, and we will tell you plainly when yours is.
Signs It Is Time to Replace an R-22 System
- Your system was installed before 2010
- The nameplate lists R-22 or HCFC-22
- It has needed a refrigerant recharge more than once
- The last recharge quote was a shock
- Cooling is weak on the hottest afternoons
- The condenser coil or line set shows oil stains
- A contractor told you parts are hard to find
- You want a system that will be serviceable in ten years
Noticing any of these? Call (201) 245-7772 or request service online. Same-day appointments across North Jersey.
Our R-22 to R-454B Replacement Process
Confirm what you have
We identify the refrigerant, age and condition of the existing condenser, coil and line set, and check the air handler or furnace the coil sits on.
Load calculation and system design
Our mechanical engineer sizes the new equipment to the house as it is today, and our electrical engineer confirms the panel and circuit can support it.
Proposal with a firm price
You get equipment options, the scope of work including any line set or electrical changes, and financing through Synchrony if you want it. Nothing starts until you approve — that is No Worries Pricing.
Recovery, removal and installation
We recover the old refrigerant, remove the old equipment, install the matched R-454B condenser and coil, the required leak-detection sensor, and new line set and disconnect where needed.
Commission and walk-through
We evacuate, charge by weight, verify pressures, temperatures and airflow, register the equipment, and explain the new system and its maintenance schedule.
Refrigerant Transition Services We Offer
Full R-22 system replacement
Matched R-454B condenser and indoor coil, with line set and electrical brought up to the requirements of the new equipment. The standard path for an R-22 home.
R-454B heat pump installation
Replacing an R-22 air conditioner with a heat pump that cools in summer and shares heating duty with your furnace or boiler in the shoulder seasons.
Coil replacement with a new furnace or air handler
When the indoor unit is as old as the outdoor one, replacing both at once avoids a second disruptive job a few years later and lets us match every component.
R-410A system evaluation and repair
R-410A is still serviceable and will be for years. If your system is newer and simply has a fixable problem, we repair it rather than push a replacement.
Refrigerant recovery and proper disposal
Old refrigerant is recovered into cylinders and handled according to EPA rules, never vented, and the old equipment is removed from the property.
Why Choose Heights for R-22 to R-454B Upgrades
- Family Owned & Operated: A family business means more personalized service than you get from big chain providers.
- 56 Years of Industry Experience: Over 56 years of combined industry experience across plumbing, heating and cooling.
- Licensed & Insured: NJ HVAC Lic. #197400 and NJ Plumbing Lic. #1221100. Fully insured for residential and commercial work.
- Engineers On Staff: Our own mechanical and electrical engineers design systems and handle wiring, so you don’t need a second contractor.
- Same-Day Service: Schedule with us and we’ll provide service within 24 hours, arriving on time as scheduled.
- No Worries Pricing: Straightforward pricing with no surprise fees or up-charges. You know what you’re paying before we start.
R-22 to R-454B Upgrades Across Bergen, Essex & North Jersey
We provide r-22 to r-454b upgrades from our offices in Fair Lawn and Hillsdale to every municipality in Bergen County and Essex County, including:
We also serve Sussex County, Passaic County, Warren County, Morris County, Hudson County, Union County, Hunterdon County, Somerset County, Middlesex County, Mercer County.
R-22 to R-454B Upgrades FAQs
Can you just recharge my R-22 system one more time?
Usually we can, using reclaimed R-22, but it is expensive and it does not fix the leak that caused the loss. If the system is otherwise sound and you need to get through a season, we will do it and tell you what it costs. We will also give you the replacement number so you can weigh the two.
Can R-454B go into my existing system?
No. R-454B is not compatible with R-22 or R-410A equipment. Moving to it requires a new condenser and a new matched indoor coil, and often a new line set. There is no drop-in conversion.
Is R-454B safe in a house?
It is classified as mildly flammable, which is why the equipment designed for it includes leak-detection sensors and specific installation requirements, and why installers need training on it. Installed to those requirements, it is the standard refrigerant in new residential systems.
Should I buy an R-410A system instead while they are still available?
R-410A is being phased down, and new residential equipment is built for A2L refrigerants. A leftover R-410A unit may be available and cheaper up front, but it puts you on the refrigerant that is next in line to become scarce. For most homeowners replacing R-22 today, R-454B equipment is the sounder long-term choice.
Will the new system be the same size as my old one?
Often not. Older systems were commonly oversized, and homes change over twenty years. We run a load calculation on the house as it stands so the new system is sized to actually dehumidify and run efficient cycles.
Do you offer financing for a full system replacement?
Yes, through Synchrony. We can go over the options when we present the proposal so you know the monthly figure before you decide.