EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has suggested that the agency may extend the January 1, 2026, deadline for installing certain ACs and heat pumps
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on Friday suggested that the agency may extend the January 1, 2026, deadline for installing residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pump systems using components manufactured or imported before this year.
Catch up quick: The ‘Technology Transitions’ rule, published in October 2023 as part of the AIM Act, which President Trump signed into law in 2020, set an installation deadline of January 1, 2025, for certain residential and light commercial ACs and heat pumps.
- But in December 2023, in response to industry pushback over stranded inventory concerns, the EPA extended the deadline by one year, until January 1, 2026.
What’s happening: Following a Friday speech in Peachtree City, Georgia, at Alta Refrigeration, Zeldin posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the transition was “frantic and rushed,” and that the agency will be “fixing it” with a soon-to-come, formal proposal.
- The proposal, he wrote, will be “focused on preserving access to affordable refrigerants and HVACs by allowing companies to continue installing systems that have already been manufactured or imported into the US.”
- He added, “while not forcing Americans to replace their whole HVAC system when only part of it needs to be replaced.”
Why it matters: Zeldin’s comments suggest that the EPA may ultimately allow certain residential R-410A systems to be installed past the current deadline of January 1, 2026.
The flip side: Industry associations argue that a sudden change could not only bring disruptions, but that it’s also illegal.
- “The AIM Act requires at least one year’s notice before changing compliance dates, meaning EPA cannot legally push back the 2026 deadline now without inviting lawsuits from the environmental community, creating uncertainty,” HARDI wrote in an email to subscribers.
- “Congress included this clause to prevent the very type of last-minute disruption EPA now appears to be considering,” it added in a blog post.
What they’re saying: “The most effective way to [support a safe transition that doesn’t create unnecessary disruptions for contractors] is with one clear, national standard,” ACCA’s Sean Robertson tells Homepros in an email.
- “Without it, we will see a growing patchwork of state rules and regulations… Congress and EPA need to deliver on the AIM Act’s original promise: a predictable, uniform path forward that allows contractors to train, invest, and keep serving customers safely and affordably,” he adds.
State of play: The refrigerant transition is already well underway, as 86 percent of central ducted HVAC sales in July were A2L systems, according to HARDI distributor data — up from less than five percent in November 2024.
- “At this pace, A2Ls will achieve full market penetration before the end of the 2025 cooling season,” the association wrote, adding that delaying the install deadline “would not only lack justification but also misrepresent market conditions.”
Go deeper: Extending the sell-through period “sounds like a good idea, but current market indications show that there is not significant inventory in matched R-410A systems (DOE-rated) that meets those conditions,” writes Chuck White, PHCC’s VP of Regulatory Affairs, in an email to Homepros.
- “Additionally, many contractors have been hesitant to keep their clients on R-410A systems due to the future declining availability of that refrigerant and the reality that, unlike the R-22 transition, there is no drop-in replacement for R-410A,” he adds.
What’s next: While Zeldin noted that the proposal will be released “in the coming days,” it’s currently under interagency review, and once published, “will be released for public notice and comment.”
First published by Homepros’ Deidra Funcheon August 26,2025.