R404A Refrigerant Gas

What R404A is and where you still find it

R404A (R-404A) is a zeotropic HFC blend of R125, R143a and R134a in a 44/52/4 mass ratio. It is safety class A1 and has a GWP of 3,922 (AR4). For years it was the default gas for low and medium temperature commercial refrigeration. Service engineers still meet it in supermarket freezer cases, walk-in cold rooms, condensing units, ice machines, food processing plants and transport refrigeration units.

The temperature glide is small, around 0.7 K, yet R404A is still a blend. Charge it from the cylinder in the liquid phase so the composition stays on specification. Recover it at the end of the job and never vent it.

R404A status in 2026 under Regulation (EU) 2024/573

R404A sits well above the GWP 2,500 threshold the Regulation uses for refrigeration servicing. Virgin gas at or above that level may no longer be used to service or maintain refrigeration equipment, subject to the exceptions in Article 13. Reclaimed gas is one of those exceptions. It may still be used to service existing refrigeration equipment until 1 January 2030, provided the container carries the reclaimed-gas label required by Article 12(7).

That is why the R404A on this page is supplied as regenerated (reclaimed) gas. Existing plant may keep running; the legal question is the origin of the refrigerant you add. Note the gas as reclaimed in the equipment record, because Article 7 asks for the quantity added and whether it was virgin, recycled or reclaimed. R404A is not an option for new equipment covered by the placing-on-the-market bans.

Replacement paths for R404A systems

The reclaimed-gas window closes in 2030, so many operators use R404A to keep a plant running while a retrofit or a new system is planned. For existing R404A and R507 circuits we stock R448A (GWP 1,387) and R449A (GWP 1,397). In transport refrigeration, R452A (GWP 2,140) is a frequent choice. R407F is another R404A retrofit gas, though it is out of stock at the moment.

None of these is a drop-in. Work to the compressor and equipment manufacturer's retrofit instructions on oil, expansion valve, controls and operating envelope, and never mix R404A with another blend in one circuit.

Single cylinder or pack: sizing your order

Every cylinder holds 10 kg of R404A, equal to 39.22 t CO2e. One cylinder covers a leak repair or a top-up on a single system. Packs of 3, 5, 10, 15 or 20 cylinders suit service companies with several freezer contracts or a large central plant, and the price per kilogram drops as the pack grows. Each product page states the total kilograms and tonnes CO2e, ready to copy into your F-gas records.

Delivery, cylinder returns and who may buy

Orders leave our warehouses in Fréjus, France and Riga, Latvia for all 27 EU member states. Allow 1-4 working days within France and 2-6 working days elsewhere in the EU; for pallet freight the date is confirmed per order. The cylinders are returnable: empties come back to the Riga warehouse and refills run through our Latvian service centre. Full terms are on the delivery and payments page.

We sell R404A only to certified technicians, companies employing certified staff, or buyers purchasing for resale, as required by Regulation (EU) 2024/573 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2067. At checkout you state your basis, your certificate number and the issuing country, and the order is released once that check is done. Prices are shown ex VAT, and EU companies with a valid VAT number buy under reverse charge.