// Reference
The limits your sample is measured against, published in full, per refrigerant. 22 single-component refrigerants and 25 blends. If you want to know what a pass means before you spend money on a test, it is all here.
01Before the tables
AHRI 700 has no “purity, minimum” characteristic. What it specifies is all other volatile impurities, maximum 0.5% by weight. “99.5% minimum” is the arithmetic complement of that, and it only means anything for a single-component refrigerant.
Blends are judged on a two-sided window per component. R-410A at 47.9% R-32 sits below its 48.5–50.5% window and fails, whatever its total purity says. A purity figure cannot detect that.
R-11 and R-123 take 20 ppm water, not 10, and are not subject to the non-condensables test at all. R-141b takes 100 ppm. R-142b takes 15 ppm and 3 ppm acidity. One column of limits applied to everything will pass and fail material incorrectly.
02The characteristics
The basis matters as much as the number. Non-condensables are a vapour-phase measurement defined at 25.0 °C; everything else is liquid phase.
| Characteristic | Phase | Basis | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air and other non-condensables | vapor | % by volume @ 25.0 °C | Gas chromatography — separate vapour-phase sample |
| Water | liquid | ppm by weight | Karl Fischer titration |
| All other volatile impurities | liquid | % by weight | Gas chromatography |
| High boiling residue | liquid | % by volume or % by weight | Gravimetric — the basis used must be recorded |
| Particulates and solids | liquid | pass/fail | Visual |
| Acidity | liquid | ppm by weight as HCl | Titration — detection limit 0.1 ppm on a 50–60 g sample |
| Chloride | liquid | pass/fail | Turbidity — turbidity appears at roughly 3 ppm by weight |
03Single-component refrigerants
Identical across the federally incorporated appendix, AHRI 700-2019 and AHRI 700-2024. Values that differ from the common set are highlighted.
| Refrigerant | Non-cond. | Water | Other volatiles | HBR | Acidity | Chloride | Isomer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-11● | Not applicable | 20 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | — |
| R-12● | 1.5 | 10 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | — |
| R-13 | 1.5 | 10 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | — |
| R-22● | 1.5 | 10 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | — |
| R-23 | 1.5 | 10 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | — |
| R-32● | 1.5 | 10 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | — |
| R-113 | Not applicable | 20 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | 0–1 R-113a |
| R-114 | 1.5 | 10 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | 0–30 R-114a |
| R-115 | 1.5 | 10 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | Visually clean | — |
| R-116 | 1.5 | 10 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | Visually clean | — |
| R-123● | Not applicable | 20 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | 0–8 each of R-123a, R-123b |
| R-124 | 1.5 | 10 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | 0–5 R-124a |
| R-125● | 1.5 | 10 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | — |
| R-134a● | 1.5 | 10 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | 0–0.5 R-134 |
| R-141b | Not applicable | 100 | 0.9 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | 0–0.1 each R-141, R-141a |
| R-142b | 2.0 | 15 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 3 | No visible turbidity | 0–0.1 each R-142, R-142a |
| R-143a | 1.5 | 10 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | 0–0.01 R-143 |
| R-152a | 1.5 | 10 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | — |
| R-245fa | Not applicable | 20 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | 0–0.1 each of R-245ca, cb, ea, eb |
| R-1233zd(E) | Not applicable | 20 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | — |
| R-1234yf | 1.5 | 10 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | — |
| R-1234ze(E) | 1.5 | 10 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 1 | No visible turbidity | 0–0.3 R-1234ze(Z) |
● Common in Southern California chiller and reclamation work. Highlighted rows differ from the values a generic limit column would apply.
04Blends
Every blend shares the same contaminant limits. What differs — and what decides the result — is the composition window for each component.
Shared contaminant limits, all blends
Non-condensables 1.5% vol · Water 10 ppm · Other volatiles 0.5% wt · HBR 0.01% · Acidity 1 ppm · Chloride No visible turbidity · Particulates Visually clean
| R-22 | 53.0 | 51.0–55.0 |
| R-152a | 13.0 | 11.5–13.5 |
| R-124 | 34.0 | 33.0–35.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-22 | 61.0 | 59.0–63.0 |
| R-152a | 11.0 | 9.5–11.5 |
| R-124 | 28.0 | 27.0–29.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-125 | 60.0 | 58.0–62.0 |
| R-290 | 2.0 | 1.0–2.1 |
| R-22 | 38.0 | 36.0–40.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-125 | 38.0 | 36.0–40.0 |
| R-290 | 2.0 | 1.0–2.1 |
| R-22 | 60.0 | 58.0–62.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-290 | 5.0 | 3.0–5.2 |
| R-22 | 75.0 | 73.0–77.0 |
| R-218 | 20.0 | 18.0–22.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-290 | 5.0 | 3.0–5.2 |
| R-22 | 56.0 | 54.0–58.0 |
| R-218 | 39.0 | 37.0–41.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-125 | 44.0 | 42.0–46.0 |
| R-143a | 52.0 | 51.0–53.0 |
| R-134a | 4.0 | 2.0–6.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-22 | 45.0 | 43.0–47.0 |
| R-152a | 7.0 | 6.0–8.0 |
| R-142b | 5.5 | 4.5–6.5 |
| RC-318 | 42.5 | 40.5–44.5 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-22 | 55.0 | 53.0–57.0 |
| R-600a | 4.0 | 3.0–5.0 |
| R-142b | 41.0 | 40.0–42.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-32 | 20.0 | 18.0–22.0 |
| R-125 | 40.0 | 38.0–42.0 |
| R-134a | 40.0 | 38.0–42.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-32 | 10.0 | 8.0–12.0 |
| R-125 | 70.0 | 68.0–72.0 |
| R-134a | 20.0 | 18.0–22.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-32 | 23.0 | 21.0–25.0 |
| R-125 | 25.0 | 23.0–27.0 |
| R-134a | 52.0 | 50.0–54.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-32 | 30.0 | 28.0–32.0 |
| R-125 | 30.0 | 28.0–32.0 |
| R-134a | 40.0 | 38.0–42.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-125 | 7.0 | 5.0–9.0 |
| R-143a | 46.0 | 45.0–47.0 |
| R-22 | 47.0 | 45.0–49.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-22 | 60.0 | 58.0–62.0 |
| R-124 | 25.0 | 23.0–27.0 |
| R-142b | 15.0 | 14.0–16.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-22 | 65.0 | 63.0–67.0 |
| R-124 | 25.0 | 23.0–27.0 |
| R-142b | 10.0 | 9.0–11.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-32 | 50.0 | 48.5–50.5 |
| R-125 | 50.0 | 49.5–51.5 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-32 | 45.0 | 44.0–46.0 |
| R-125 | 55.0 | 54.0–56.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-12 | 73.8 | 72.8–74.8 |
| R-152a | 26.2 | 25.2–27.2 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-22 | 48.8 | 44.8–52.8 |
| R-115 | 51.2 | 47.2–55.2 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-23 | 40.1 | 39.0–41.0 |
| R-13 | 59.9 | 59.0–61.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-125 | 50.0 | 49.5–51.5 |
| R-143a | 50.0 | 48.5–50.5 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-23 | 39.0 | 37.0–41.0 |
| R-116 | 61.0 | 59.0–63.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-23 | 46.0 | 44.0–48.0 |
| R-116 | 54.0 | 52.0–56.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
| R-1234yf | 56.0 | 55.0–57.0 |
| R-134a | 44.0 | 43.0–45.0 |
component · nominal · allowable (% by weight)
Both are nominally 50/50 and both windows are skewed — in opposite directions. R-410A allows R-32 from 48.5 to 50.5 and R-125 from 49.5 to 51.5; R-507A allows R-125 from 49.5 to 51.5 and R-143a from 48.5 to 50.5. Anything implemented as nominal ± tolerance is wrong for both.
Withheld pending verification
R-509A is not published here. Our transcription of its window failed an internal consistency check, and we would rather publish a shorter table than a limit we have not re-read from the standard itself. Ask us and we will confirm it against the published edition.
05Decision rules
Stated in advance, because these are exactly the questions that arise when a result is close to a limit.
06Editions
They are not interchangeable. The exemption list for non-condensables changes between them.
The federally incorporated text (AHRI 700-2016 basis). This is the binding one for Section 608 work.
Non-condensables not required: R-11, R-113, R-123, R-141b, R-245fa, R-1233zd(E)
Adds R-1336mzz(Z) to the non-condensables exemption and introduces the R-40 sub-limit.
Non-condensables not required: R-11, R-113, R-123, R-141b, R-245fa, R-1233zd(E), R-1336mzz(Z)
Adds R-1336mzz(E); §4.2.3.2 also exempts R-514A, which the table note omits.
Non-condensables not required: R-11, R-113, R-123, R-141b, R-245fa, R-1233zd(E), R-1336mzz(Z), R-1336mzz(E), R-514A
