BERGEN, N.Y. (WROC) — The New York State Department of Conservation has proposed new guidelines on refrigerants: Chemicals that are the main agent in home and commercial cooling systems. Two chemicals that are expected to be banned are hydrofluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride, in favor of Co2, propane, and ammonia. The DEC said these latter chemicals are better for the environment. Luke Gianonne is the owner of Triple O, a local company that does HVAC, heating and cooling services, and more. Grocers renew call against new proposed New York State refrigerant guidelines "The new refrigerants come with new equipment, so we won't be putting the old refrigerants in existing equipment, they come with new (hardware) that is made to handle that refrigerant specifically," he said. These chemicals are mildly flammable — though Giannone said a leaky furnace or gas stove is far more dangerous — so the new hardware says safety measures. He said distributors have to stop selling the old hardware in June of 2025, and installers have until December of 2025 to put in the old equipment. ‘Horrible challenge:’ Rochester grocer weighs in on draft DEC refrigerant regulations Giannone added that if you have a unit that uses the current refrigerant, it can be repaired and recharged. But come 2026, all new units must be made only to take the new refrigerants. This does not mean that you have to get a whole new system right away. "If we get back in history, R-22 was phased out in 2010, and here we are 14 years later servicing and repairing R-22 systems," he says. "So, I expect to be a slow and easy transition and be mindful of contractors trying to persuade you into doing one thing or another." Giannone said that Triple O regularly has his technicians train with the manufactures and recommends that you look for an HVAC or repair company that has a similar program. The DEC announced that it was making revisions based on public input received, writing in a statement: "The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is working to reduce harmful Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are used mainly as refrigerants and have major negative climate impacts. DEC's draft regulations promote safer, efficient alternatives to HFCs and align New York State with federal and international climate laws and with other US Climate Alliance states. The proposed regulations would require large scale retail food chains to reduce HFCs, which equates to two million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, have no direct costs to consumers, and would not require consumers or businesses to replace existing products and equipment prior to the end of useful life. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), DEC's proposal is estimated to help businesses reduce energy costs and will result in $288-$540 million in savings, while helping fight climate change."