---
title: R-407A Pros, Cons & Comparisons to Other Refrigerants | The Super Blog
description: R-407A is a zeotropic HFC refrigerant blend composed of R-32 (20% ), R-125 (40% ), & R-134a (40%). It's primarily used in medium and low temp applications.
---

[The Super Blog ](https://www.superradiatorcoils.com/blog)

# [R-407A Pros, Cons & Comparisons to Other Refrigerants | The Super Blog](https://www.superradiatorcoils.com/blog/r-407a-pros-cons-comparisons-r-404a-r-22)

 Written by [Super Radiator Coils](https://www.superradiatorcoils.com/blog/author/super-radiator-coils) | Aug 10, 2021 6:54:10 PM

Our Refrigerant Focus series delves into the history, properties, suitable applications, and pros and cons of some of today’s popular or otherwise noteworthy refrigerants. This installment will focus on R-407A.

*Check out some of our refrigerant focus posts below.*

- [Refrigerant Focus #1: R-32](https://www.superradiatorcoils.com/blog/refrigerant-focus-r-32-difluoromethane)
- [Refrigerant Focus #2: R-410A](https://www.superradiatorcoils.com/blog/refrigerant-focus-r-410a)
- [Refrigerant Focus #3: R-1234ze](https://www.superradiatorcoils.com/blog/r-1234ze-pros-cons-comparisons)
- [Refrigerant Focus #5: R-290](https://www.superradiatorcoils.com/blog/r-290-pros-cons-comparisons-r22-r134a-r404a)
- [Refrigerant Focus #6: CO2](https://www.superradiatorcoils.com/blog/co2-pros-cons-comparisons)
- [Refrigerant Focus #7: R-448A](https://www.superradiatorcoils.com/blog/r-448a-pros-cons-performance-comparisons)
- [Refrigerant Focus #8: R-454B](https://www.superradiatorcoils.com/blog/r-454b-pros-cons-comparisons-to-r-410a)

## History of R-407A as a Refrigerant

R-407A – often sold under tradenames like Freon® (Chemours), Genetron® (Honeywell), and others – is the first “replacement replacement” that we’ve covered in the Refrigerant Focus series. It was designed to replace R-404A (Pentafluoroethane, 1,1,1-Tetrafluoroethane, 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane), which was developed as a replacement for R-22 (Chlorodifluoromethane).

## Properties of R-407A

R-407A is a zeotropic hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant blend composed of 20% R-32 (difluoromethane), 40% R-125 (Pentafluoroethane), and 40% R-134a (1,1,1,2 – Tetrafluoroethane). More properties for R-407A can be found in the table below.

| R-407A Properties |  |
| --- | --- |
| Formula | R-32 (20%) R-125 (40%) R-134a (40%) |
| Molecular weight (g/mol) | 90.1 |
| Boiling temperature °F (°C) | -49 (-45) |
| Critical temperature °F (°C) | 180 (82.3) |
| Critical pressure, PSI, (Bar) | 655 (45.1) |
| Gas heat capacity Btu/lb·°F, (kJ/(kg∙°C)) | 0.198 (0.829) |
| Liquid heat capacity @ 1 atm, 30°C  Btu/lb·°F (kJ/(kg∙°C)) | 0.363 (1.52) |
| Temperature Glide °F (°C) | 8 (-4.4) |
| Global Warming Potential | 2100 |
| Ozone Depletion Potential | 0 |
| ASHRAE Safety Group | A1 |

## Performance Comparison of R-407A vs. R-404A & R-22

To compare their performance, we’ve designed a theoretical coil and run it through [Enterprise, our coil selection software](https://apps.superradiatorcoils.com/).

We’ll use a 40” x 80” 4-row, 9FPI copper/aluminum evaporator coil designed for a [refrigerated display case](https://www.superradiatorcoils.com/industries/refrigerated-display-case) application. It features 0.375” OD copper tubes with a wall thickness of 0.15” and rifled walls. The fins are .0075” aluminum with a corrugated [enhancement for added air turbulence](https://www.superradiatorcoils.com/blog/fin-enhancements-for-plate-fin-heat-exchangers-purposes-and-tradeoffs).

The design conditions are shown below along with the performance rating for that coil using R-22, R-404A, and R-407A.

| **Inputs ** |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Airside | Tube-side |  |  |
| Air flow | 4,000 SCFM | Degrees superheat | 6°F |
| Target capacity | 312,212 Btu./hr. | Liquid temperature | 100°F |
| Entering air temp. | 85°F/78°F (WB) | Refrigerant suction temp. | 35°F |
| Leaving air temp. | 55°F/45°F (WB) |   |   |
| Air pressure | 14.696 PSIG |   |   |

 

| Performance Comparison: R-404A vs. R-407A |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|   | R-404A | R-407A | Difference (%) | Difference (abs.) |
| Coil capacity | 408,937 Btu/hr. | 397,971 Btu/hr. | -2.7% | 10,966 Btu/hr. |
| Leaving air temp. | 46.1°F | 47.3°F | 2.6% | 1.2°F |
| Refrigerant inlet temperature | 18.6°F | 24°F | 29% | 5.4°F |
| Refrigerant pressure drop | 0.620 PSI/coil | 0.346 PSI/coil | -44% | 0.274 PSI/coil |
| Refrigerant mass flow | 9,384 lb./hr. | 6,426 lb./hr. | -31% | 2,958 lb./hr. |
| Circuit loading | 6,390 Btu/hr. |  6,281 Btu/hr. | -1.7% | 109 Btu/hr. |

 

| Performance Comparison: R-22 vs. R-407A |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|   | R-22 | R-407A | Difference (%) | Difference (abs.) |
| Coil capacity | 391,531 Btu/hr. | 397,971 Btu/hr. | -1.6% | 6,440 Btu/hr. |
| Leaving air temp. (WB) | 47.9°F | 47.3°F | -1.25% | 0.6°F |
| Refrigerant inlet temperature | 18.6°F | 24°F | 29% | 5.4°F |
| Refrigerant pressure drop | 0.282 PSI/coil | 0.346 PSI/coil | 23% | 0.064 PSI/coil |
| Refrigerant mass flow | 5,646 lb./hr. | 6,426 lb./hr. | 14% | 780 lb./hr. |
| Circuit loading | 6,118 Btu/hr. |  6,281 Btu/hr. | 2.6% | 163 Btu/hr. |

*Note: the same circuiting was used for all three coils

## Applications for R-407A

R-407A is primarily used for medium to low temperature refrigeration applications.

## R-407A: Pros

The main benefits of R-407A are:

- Lower GWP (~2100) than R-404 (~3900)
- Similar performance profile as both R-22 and R-404

### Lower GWP than R-404

The chief benefit of R-407A is its low-GWP relative to those substances that it was developed to replace. In addition to being less environmentally harmful, R-407A’s performance is fairly similar to R-404 and R-22 as you can see in the performance table above.

If you’re switching from R-404A to R-407A, you’ll gain some efficiency. An R-407A coil will have a lower pressure drop through the coil and requires less refrigerant per hour to meet the theoretical requirement, making it a cheaper long-term option. Also, unlike R-404A, R407A isn’t currently a major target of regulators (virgin R-404A is no longer allowed to be used to service or refill systems in Europe as of January 1, 2020 and [several U.S. states have adopted legislation that includes similar mandates.](https://superradiatorcoils.podbean.com/e/epa-hfc-phasedown-proposal-takeaways/))

It should be noted that while R-407A’s GWP of roughly 2000 is a major improvement over R-404, it’s certainly not considered “low.” And it's unclear to what extent R-407A will be regulated in the future.

## R-407A: Cons

The main drawbacks of R-407A are:

- Temperature glide
- Diminishing efficiency below a certain temperature

### Temperature Glide

As a multi-part zeotropic blend, R-407A’s glide isn’t so much a con as it is an added variable. This 8-degree boiling temperature “lag” must be accounted to properly size equipment like compressors.

### Diminishing Efficiency Below a Certain Temperature

Also, at temperatures below roughly -20°F, R-407A’s efficiency drops dramatically. According to this [theoretical cycle performance table](https://www.freon.com/en/-/media/files/freon/freon-r407c-r407a-push-bulletin.pdf) from [Chemours](https://www.chemours.com/en) (a manufacturer of R-407A), an R-407A system would need 38% more compression power than an R-404A system to meet that requirement.

For comparison, a medium-temperature R-407A application (~20°F) would require a roughly 31% higher compression ratio than R-404A to meet the same requirement. While that’s not ideal, R-407A’s efficiencies in the other areas we’ve covered can offset that increase in power consumption.

If you're designing a system and can't decide which refrigerant is the best option, [give us a call](https://www.superradiatorcoils.com/contact-us). We have multiple refrigerant experts on staff that can help you make the right choice to get the most out of your heat transfer equipment.

*Don’t get left out in the cold when it comes to heat transfer information. To stay up to date on a variety of topics on the subject, [subscribe to The Super Blog](https://www.superradiatorcoils.com/blog-subscribe), our technical blog, [Doctor's Orders](https://www.superradiatorcoils.com/blog-subscribe-doctors-orders), and follow us on [LinkedIn,](https://www.linkedin.com/company/super-radiator-coils/?viewAsMember=true) [Twitter,](https://twitter.com/SuperRadiator) and [YouTube.](https://www.youtube.com/user/SuperRadiatorCoils)*

[View full post](https://www.superradiatorcoils.com/blog/r-407a-pros-cons-comparisons-r-404a-r-22)

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