A fifteen-year-old UK split can often keep running if it is safe, the coils are sound and a certified engineer can still get the right refrigerant for repairs. Many of that age hold R410A. They can be serviced, leak-checked and recharged with R410A by an F-gas certified company. New small splits you will be offered now are R32 matched indoor and outdoor pairs. R32 is not a drop-in substitute for R410A. Great Britain has its own F-gas rules. Do not treat a European product-ban date as if it had already rewritten British law. When the outdoor unit fails, replacement is usually a new pair, illustrated in the same broad band as a new one-room install, plus recovery of the old gas.
Service an honest R410A pair
Age alone is not a scrap verdict. A unit that cools, heats, drains and stays quiet can be worth a service: filters, coils, electrics, drain, and a look at pressures by someone certified to handle the gas. R410A systems were the normal domestic charge for years. Keeping that charge in that machine, and topping up only after a leak is found and repaired, is normal competent servicing.
A matched R32 pair, under GB rules
When the compressor is gone, or the outdoor unit is rotten, you replace the system. The new indoor and outdoor must be a matched pair on the refrigerant they were built for. That is almost always R32 on a small new split in the current UK trade. Pipework is often renewed with that pair.
British rules are the ones on GOV.UK for F-gas certification and the GB hydrofluorocarbon regime. The European Union has discussed and set later product limits, including dates people shorthand as 2027. Those EU dates are not a set of bans you should pretend are already GB law. Availability of R410A for servicing can still tighten because of phasedown. That is a supply issue for your engineer, not a reason to vent the old gas or to mix refrigerants.
A changeover in the same band as a new room
A straightforward replacement of one room, with recovery, disposal and a new R32 pair on a similar route, often sits in the high hundreds to low thousands, similar to a new install, sometimes a little more because removal and making good are included. Scaffold, a board upgrade, a longer route you take as a chance to move the outdoor unit, or a multi-split upgrade moves it exactly as a new job would. A quote to just change the gas on a dead R410A outdoor unit is the quote to refuse. Compare installers on recovery, the new model codes, and who registers the warranty. The badge matters less than a company that will still hold R32 parts in three years. Energy Saving Trust describes these air-to-air heat pumps. Recover the old refrigerant when the system is scrapped.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep using an R410A system in Britain?
Yes. Existing systems can be maintained by a certified company, including repair and recharge with the correct refrigerant. You are not required to rip out a working R410A split because newer kit uses R32.
Can the engineer swap R32 into my old unit?
No. R32 and R410A run in equipment built for them. Replacement means a new matched pair, not a bottle change.
Does an EU 2027 ban mean my UK repair is illegal?
No. Follow current GB F-gas rules. Do not import an EU product timetable and treat it as a ban already in force on British servicing.
When do parts make repair the worse spend?
A failed fan motor or a cracked coil on an orphan model can cost more than the rest of a summer. Ask the engineer whether parts are still realistic before you authorise a dear repair.
Can the old pipes be reused on the new pair?
Sometimes, only if the manufacturer allows it and the pipe is cleaned and sized correctly. That is an engineering decision. Pipework is often renewed instead.
Core buying guides
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Related guides
Sources and further reading
How this guide was prepared
This guide was written by the Local AC Installers Editorial Team. We compare official guidance, legislation and established consumer information, separate general information from project-specific advice, and show publication dates and sources. We do not accept installer accreditation claims at face value.