What Pressure Should R-32 Be?
Updated October 26, 2026
R-32 A2L Lower toxicity, lower flammability
EPA lists R-32, a single-component A2L refrigerant, for new residential air conditioners and heat pumps.[20] The ranges here come from Goodman and Amana cooling-data tables for those inverter units.
An inverter system throttles its compressor and fan, so a reading only means something against the unit's own table at a matched condition. The ranges below are the tables' rows at 80°F/67°F indoor air, the indoor conditions of the AHRI 210/240 AFull test; your unit's charging label is the final word.[19]
At 95°F outdoors and 80°F/67°F indoor air, Goodman and Amana tables for 26 variable-speed R-32 systems list 131–153 psig suction (low side) and 348–453 psig liquid (high side), read at the service valves.[1][2][3][4][5] Each of these sheets also lists the unit's design subcooling at the AHRI 95°F condition.[1][2][3][4][5]
R-32 running pressure in cooling
| Outdoor | Low side (suction) | High side (liquid) |
|---|---|---|
| 65°F 18°C | 119–146 psig 820–1,007 kPa | 209–305 psig 1,441–2,103 kPa |
| 75°F 24°C | 123–150 psig 848–1,034 kPa | 260–352 psig 1,793–2,427 kPa |
| 85°F 29°C | 127–152 psig 876–1,048 kPa | 302–401 psig 2,082–2,765 kPa |
| 95°F 35°C | 131–153 psig 903–1,055 kPa | 348–453 psig 2,399–3,123 kPa |
| 105°F 41°C | 134–157 psig 924–1,082 kPa | 398–493 psig 2,744–3,399 kPa |
| 115°F 46°C | 145–165 psig 1,000–1,138 kPa | 453–542 psig 3,123–3,737 kPa |
Goodman SS-GXV6S-R32 and SS-GXV9S-R32 and Amana SS-AXV9S-R32, SS-AZV9S-R32 and SS-AZV7S-R32 (07/25 to 09/25), three airflows each. Several Goodman and Amana sheets list identical values for the same equipment. All 26 are variable-speed units, and Goodman notes their airflow can vary with outdoor conditions and operating mode.[1][2][3][4][5]
Every unit at 95°F (26 tables)
Goodman rows are at 80°F/67°F indoor air and the middle of the three listed airflows.
| Maker | Model | Type | Low side (psig) | High side (psig) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodman | GXV6SS1810A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 150 | 375 | SS-GXV6S-R32 p. 6 |
| Goodman | GXV6SS2410A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 146 | 407 | SS-GXV6S-R32 p. 8 |
| Goodman | GXV6SS3010A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 146 | 415 | SS-GXV6S-R32 p. 10 |
| Goodman | GXV6SS3610A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 146 | 426 | SS-GXV6S-R32 p. 12 |
| Goodman | GXV6SS4210A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 145 | 429 | SS-GXV6S-R32 p. 14 |
| Goodman | GXV6SS4810A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 140 | 437 | SS-GXV6S-R32 p. 16 |
| Goodman | GXV6SS6010A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 141 | 447 | SS-GXV6S-R32 p. 18 |
| Goodman | GXV6SA1810A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 150 | 375 | SS-GXV6S-R32 p. 20 |
| Goodman | GXV6SA2410A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 146 | 407 | SS-GXV6S-R32 p. 22 |
| Goodman | GXV6SA3010A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 146 | 415 | SS-GXV6S-R32 p. 24 |
| Goodman | GXV6SA3610A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 150 | 423 | SS-GXV6S-R32 p. 26 |
| Goodman | GXV9SA2410A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 150 | 395 | SS-GXV9S-R32 p. 5 |
| Goodman | GXV9SA3610A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 152 | 397 | SS-GXV9S-R32 p. 7 |
| Goodman | GXV9SA4810A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 143 | 428 | SS-GXV9S-R32 p. 9 |
| Goodman | GXV9SA6010A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 133 | 420 | SS-GXV9S-R32 p. 11 |
| Amana | AXV9SA2410A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 150 | 395 | SS-AXV9S-R32 p. 5 |
| Amana | AXV9SA3610A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 152 | 397 | SS-AXV9S-R32 p. 7 |
| Amana | AXV9SA4810A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 143 | 428 | SS-AXV9S-R32 p. 9 |
| Amana | AXV9SA6010A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 133 | 420 | SS-AXV9S-R32 p. 11 |
| Amana | AZV9SA241CA* | variable-speed (inverter) | 151 | 350 | SS-AZV9S-R32 p. 5 |
| Amana | AZV9SA361CA* | variable-speed (inverter) | 150 | 381 | SS-AZV9S-R32 p. 7 |
| Amana | AZV7SA2410A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 150 | 395 | SS-AZV7S-R32 p. 5 |
| Amana | AZV7SA3610A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 152 | 397 | SS-AZV7S-R32 p. 7 |
| Amana | AZV7SA4210A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 141 | 411 | SS-AZV7S-R32 p. 9 |
| Amana | AZV7SA4810A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 143 | 428 | SS-AZV7S-R32 p. 11 |
| Amana | AZV7SA6010A* | variable-speed (inverter) | 137 | 424 | SS-AZV7S-R32 p. 13 |
R-32 suction pressure
Suction rises with the wet bulb of the air entering the indoor coil. At 95°F outdoors and an 80°F indoor dry bulb, raising the wet bulb from 59°F to 71°F raised suction 20–28 psig on each unit (median 24) while liquid pressure rose only 6–9 psig.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Indoor wet bulb | Low side (suction) | High side (liquid) |
|---|---|---|
| 59°F | 121–142 psig 834–979 kPa | 345–450 psig 2,379–3,103 kPa |
| 63°F | 124–146 psig 855–1,007 kPa | 346–451 psig 2,386–3,110 kPa |
| 67°F | 131–153 psig 903–1,055 kPa | 348–453 psig 2,399–3,123 kPa |
| 71°F | 141–165 psig 972–1,138 kPa | 352–458 psig 2,427–3,158 kPa |
High-side pressure as the outdoor temperature climbs
Standing pressure at room temperature
With the system off long enough for the pressures to equalize, the gauges read the saturation pressure of the liquid refrigerant at its temperature. During the off cycle, refrigerant migrates toward the coldest part of the system, so the reading follows that spot's temperature rather than the outdoor air.[16] NIST notes that non-condensable gas can be diagnosed from its partial pressure while the system is off.[17]
| Off temperature | Standing (psig / kPa) |
|---|---|
| 65°F 18.3°C | 189 psig 1,306 kPa |
| 70°F 21.1°C | 206 psig 1,419 kPa |
| 75°F 23.9°C | 223 psig 1,539 kPa |
| 80°F 26.7°C | 241 psig 1,665 kPa |
| 85°F 29.4°C | 261 psig 1,799 kPa |
| 90°F 32.2°C | 281 psig 1,940 kPa |
| 95°F 35.0°C | 303 psig 2,089 kPa |
| 100°F 37.8°C | 326 psig 2,245 kPa |
| 105°F 40.6°C | 350 psig 2,411 kPa |
| 110°F 43.3°C | 375 psig 2,585 kPa |
| 115°F 46.1°C | 401 psig 2,768 kPa |
R-32 vs R-410A pressures
At 95°F outdoors in manufacturer tables:
At equal saturation temperatures R-32 runs a few psi above R-410A: 133 vs 130 psig at a 45°F dew point and 375 vs 366 psig at a 110°F bubble point.[15]
When R-32 readings are off
Faults show up as a pattern across suction, head pressure, superheat and subcooling, compared with the same system running normally.[17] NIST measured these patterns on a 2.5-ton R-410A heat pump with a TXV in cooling mode, and its report also reproduces Breuker and Braun's chart for a rooftop unit with a fixed orifice.[17]
| Fault | Suction | Head | Superheat | Subcooling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undercharge, superheat still under 16°F | no change detected | lower | no change detected | lower |
| Undercharge, superheat above 16°F | lower | lower | higher | lower |
| Overcharge | no change detected | higher | no change detected | higher |
| Liquid-line restriction, superheat above 16°F | lower | lower | higher | higher |
| Low indoor airflow | lower | lower | no change detected | no change detected |
| Low outdoor airflow, superheat under 16°F | higher | higher | no change detected | lower |
| Low outdoor airflow, superheat above 16°F | lower | higher | higher | lower |
| Compressor valve leakage | higher | lower | no change detected | lower |
NIST split its results at 9°C (16.2°F) of superheat, where the TXV runs out of control range. A liquid-line restriction caused no detectable change below that point. Overcharge, low indoor airflow and compressor leakage never pushed superheat past it at the fault levels tested.[17]
| Fault | Suction | Head | Superheat | Subcooling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigerant leak (undercharge) | lower | lower | higher | lower |
| Liquid-line restriction | lower | lower | higher | higher |
| Condenser fault (blocked coil) | higher | higher | lower | lower |
| Evaporator fault | lower | lower | lower | lower |
| Compressor valve leakage | higher | lower | lower | lower |
Neither NIST chart covers an overcharged fixed-orifice system. DOE's flowchart below does.
DOE's order of checks
DOE's Building America diagnostics guide works through the readings in order once the indoor coil's temperature split runs more than 3°F below its target, with separate charts for fixed-orifice and TXV systems.[18]
| Reading | Fixed orifice | TXV |
|---|---|---|
| Condensing temperature too far above outdoor air | Non-condensables, fouled condenser coil, overcharge or liquid-line restriction | Same |
| Evaporator saturation temperature too low | Liquid-line restriction, fouled evaporator coil or low charge | Same, or the TXV is out of adjustment |
| Low subcooling, low superheat | Expansion device overfeed or fouled evaporator coil | TXV overfeed: unsecured bulb or adjustment |
| Low subcooling, high superheat | Undercharge | Undercharge, or TXV underfeed: bad power element or adjustment |
| High subcooling, low superheat | Overcharge | Overcharge, or TXV overfeed |
| High subcooling, high superheat | Low outdoor temperature | Undercharge, or TXV underfeed |
DOE gives its limits as starting points. Its Table 3 lists a maximum condensing-over-ambient of 25°F above 12 SEER, 30°F at 10–12 SEER and 35°F below 10 SEER, and a minimum evaporator saturation temperature of 35°F, 40°F and 45°F alongside indoor wet bulbs of 62–63°F, 64–65°F and 66–67°F.[18] It adds that non-condensables or a liquid-line restriction also raise subcooling.[18]
Frequently asked questions
What pressure should R-32 run at in cooling?
What is R-32 suction pressure in bar?
What is R-32 standing pressure at 20°C and 30°C?
With the system off and equalized, it is R-32's saturation pressure at the refrigerant's temperature: about 199 psig at 20°C (68°F) and 265 psig at 30°C (86°F).[15]
How these numbers are calculated
Every operating range on this page comes from manufacturer tables, extracted from the PDFs by script rather than retyped, checked for consistent trends and spot-checked against the page images.
Goodman and Amana spec sheets list liquid ("Hi PR") and suction ("Lo PR") pressure at the service valves for each variable-speed outdoor unit at four indoor dry bulbs (70–85°F), four wet bulbs (59–71°F), three airflows and six outdoor temperatures. We use the 80°F/67°F rows, the indoor conditions of the AHRI 210/240 AFull rating test (95°F outdoors), unless a section says otherwise.[19]
Several of the five Goodman and Amana sheets list identical values for the same equipment, so each table counts once. Saturation temperatures and standing pressures come from CoolProp 7.2.0.[1][2][3][4][5][15]
Sources
- [1]GXV6S Variable-Speed R-32 Split System Air Conditioner, up to 17.2 SEER2 (spec sheet SS-GXV6S-R32). Goodman. 07/25. https://apps.goodmanmfg.com/brochures/files/68ed3c631108aSS-GXV6S-R32.pdf (accessed October 20, 2026). Expanded Cooling Data — R-32 liquid (Hi PR) and suction (Lo PR) pressures at the service valves, by outdoor temperature and indoor condition.
- [2]GXV9S Variable-Speed R-32 Split System Air Conditioner, up to 19 SEER2 (spec sheet SS-GXV9S-R32). Goodman. 07/25. https://apps.goodmanmfg.com/brochures/files/68ed3d136d70fSS-GXV9S-R32.pdf (accessed October 20, 2026). Expanded Cooling Data — R-32 liquid (Hi PR) and suction (Lo PR) pressures at the service valves, by outdoor temperature and indoor condition.
- [3]AXV9S Variable-Speed R-32 Split System Air Conditioner, up to 19 SEER2 (spec sheet SS-AXV9S-R32). Amana. 07/25. https://apps.goodmanmfg.com/brochures/files/68ee8aca01ff7SS-AXV9S-R32.pdf (accessed October 20, 2026). Expanded Cooling Data — R-32 liquid (Hi PR) and suction (Lo PR) pressures at the service valves, by outdoor temperature and indoor condition.
- [4]AZV9S Variable-Speed R-32 Split System Heat Pump, up to 21.0 SEER2 (spec sheet SS-AZV9S-R32). Amana. 09/25. https://apps.goodmanmfg.com/brochures/files/68ee8c439a303SS-AZV9S-R32.pdf (accessed October 20, 2026). Expanded Cooling Data — R-32 liquid (Hi PR) and suction (Lo PR) pressures at the service valves, by outdoor temperature and indoor condition.
- [5]AZV7S Variable-Speed R-32 Split System Heat Pump, up to 19.0 SEER2 (spec sheet SS-AZV7S-R32). Amana. 07/25. https://apps.goodmanmfg.com/brochures/files/68ee8e7c8878dSS-AZV7S-R32.pdf (accessed October 20, 2026). Expanded Cooling Data — R-32 liquid (Hi PR) and suction (Lo PR) pressures at the service valves, by outdoor temperature and indoor condition.
- [6]GSX14 Split System Air Conditioner, up to 15 SEER (spec sheet SS-GSX14). Goodman. 1/19. https://apps.goodmanmfg.com/brochures/files/5c5085ab40be5SS-GSX14.pdf (accessed October 20, 2026). Expanded Cooling Data — R-410A liquid (Hi PR) and suction (Lo PR) pressures at the service valves, by outdoor temperature and indoor condition.
- [7]GSX16 Split System Air Conditioner (spec sheet SS-GSX16). Goodman. 3/21. https://apps.goodmanmfg.com/brochures/files/6062166241d6dSS-GSX16.pdf (accessed October 20, 2026). Expanded Cooling Data — R-410A liquid (Hi PR) and suction (Lo PR) pressures at the service valves, by outdoor temperature and indoor condition.
- [8]DSXC18 Split System Air Conditioner, up to 18 SEER (spec sheet SS-DSXC18). Goodman. 11/16. https://apps.goodmanmfg.com/brochures/files/582b1bf6dd15bSS-DSXC18.pdf (accessed October 20, 2026). Expanded Cooling Data — R-410A liquid (Hi PR) and suction (Lo PR) pressures at the service valves, by outdoor temperature and indoor condition.
- [9]Elite Series XC13 Units installation instructions 506635-01. Lennox. 09/11. https://www.lennox.com/dA/1ac2b167d5/Lennox_XC13_IOM.pdf (accessed October 20, 2026). Table 4. Normal Operating Pressures, PDF p. 26 — R-410A typical liquid and suction/vapor operating pressures by outdoor temperature.
- [10]Merit Series 14ACX Units installation instructions 506645-01. Lennox. 07/11. https://www.lennox.com/dA/8b22f61eb8/Lennox_14ACX_IOM.pdf (accessed October 20, 2026). Table 4. HFC-410A Normal Operating Pressures, PDF p. 27 — R-410A typical liquid and suction/vapor operating pressures by outdoor temperature.
- [11]XC21 Series Units service literature Corp. 0504-L2. Lennox. 07/2009. https://tech.lennoxintl.com/C03e7o14l/VIu12Ch2uV/0504g.pdf (accessed October 20, 2026). Table 10. Normal Operating Pressures, PDF p. 18 — R-410A typical liquid and suction/vapor operating pressures by outdoor temperature.
- [12]Elite Series XP16 Units installation instructions 506640-01. Lennox. 12/10. https://www.lennox.com/lib/legacy-res/pdfs/installation_maintenance/lennox_xp16_iom.pdf (accessed October 20, 2026). Table 7. Normal Operating Pressures, PDF p. 29 — R-410A typical liquid and suction/vapor operating pressures by outdoor temperature.
- [13]XP17 System installation instructions 506586-01. Lennox. 06/11. https://www.lennox.com/lib/legacy-res/pdfs/installation_maintenance/lennox_xp17_iom.pdf (accessed October 20, 2026). Table 10. Normal Operating Pressure, PDF p. 31 — R-410A typical liquid and suction/vapor operating pressures by outdoor temperature.
- [14]Merit Series 13HPX Units installation instructions 506727-01. Lennox. 06/11. https://www.lennox.com/dA/138cce8866/Lennox_13HPX_IOM.pdf (accessed October 20, 2026). Table 4. Normal Operating Pressures, PDF p. 27-28 — R-410A typical liquid and suction/vapor operating pressures by outdoor temperature.
- [15]CoolProp 7.2.0. CoolProp (I. H. Bell, J. Wronski, S. Quoilin, V. Lemort). https://coolprop.org/ (accessed October 2, 2026). Bell, I. H.; Wronski, J.; Quoilin, S.; Lemort, V. Pure and Pseudo-pure Fluid Thermophysical Property Evaluation and the Open-Source Thermophysical Property Library CoolProp. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 53, 2498–2508 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1021/ie4033999
- [16]Scroll compressors SH090 to SH485, R410A: Application guidelines, AB243586442172en-US1301. Danfoss. https://assets.danfoss.com/documents/90219/AB243586442172en-US1301.pdf (accessed October 20, 2026). p. 31, off-cycle migration — refrigerant migrates to the coldest part of the system during the off cycle.
- [17]NIST Special Publication 1087, Cooling Mode Fault Detection and Diagnosis Method for a Residential Heat Pump (M. Kim, S. H. Yoon, W. V. Payne, P. A. Domanski). National Institute of Standards and Technology. October 2008. https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/SP/nistspecialpublication1087.pdf (accessed October 20, 2026). Table 5.1(a) p. 40 and Table 5.2 p. 41, fault-direction charts; Section 5.4.1 p. 58 — residential heat-pump cooling-mode fault patterns.
- [18]Measure Guideline: Air Conditioner Diagnostics, Maintenance, and Replacement (D. Springer, B. Dakin), NREL/SR-5500-56283. U.S. DOE Building America. March 2013. https://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/building_america/measure_guide_air_cond_diagnostics.pdf (accessed October 20, 2026). Section 3.4 pp. 32–33, Table 3 p. 32, Figures 17–18 p. 33 — order-of-checks diagnostic flowcharts for fixed-orifice and TXV systems.
- [19]AHRI Standard 210/240-2023 (2020), Performance Rating of Unitary Air-conditioning and Air-source Heat Pump Equipment. AHRI. 2023 (2020). https://www.ahrinet.org/system/files/2023-09/AHRI%20Standard%20210.240-2023%20%282020%29.pdf (accessed October 19, 2026)
- [20]U.S. EPA, Fact Sheet — Final Rule 23: Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: New Listings for the Significant New Alternatives Policy Program. U.S. EPA. April 23, 2021. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-04/documents/fact_sheet_snap_final_rule_23_final_4-23-21_508.pdf (accessed October 25, 2026). Listing table, end use 'Residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pumps (New)' — SNAP lists these A2Ls for new equipment only (R-32: same, excluding self-contained room air conditioners).