R290 vs R32: the real difference

The short answer: an R290 (propane) heat pump can push the flow water up to 75 °C and uses a refrigerant with a GWP of 0.02, so it works with the radiators you already have and sits outside EU restrictions on fluorinated gases. An R32 heat pump reaches 60 °C and is very good with underfloor heating, but R32 is a fluorinated gas with a GWP of 675, and from 2027 new R32 monobloc units can no longer be placed on the EU market. The other differences, in efficiency, safety and servicing, are smaller than online forums suggest.

We sell both, so we have no reason to talk up only one of them. Below are the figures from the Chofu datasheets and what the regulation actually says.

What the refrigerant does in a heat pump

The refrigerant is the fluid that circulates in the pump's sealed circuit. It evaporates at low temperature and picks up heat from the outdoor air, the compressor compresses it, and the heat passes into the water of your heating system. You never see the refrigerant: in a monobloc pump, which is what every Chofu model is, it stays sealed in the outdoor unit, charged at the factory. Only water enters the house. The whole cycle, step by step, and what each part of the unit does are explained in how an air-to-water heat pump works.

The choice of refrigerant matters for four reasons: the flow temperature the pump can reach, how much damage it does if it escapes, how flammable it is, and what the law says about it now and in a few years.

Flow temperature: 75 °C with R290, 60 °C with R32

This is the difference that affects you directly. In the Chofu datasheets the R290 models have a maximum flow temperature of 75 °C and the R32 models 60 °C. It matters because a radiator gives off more heat the hotter the water inside it, and radiators in Romanian homes were usually sized for a gas boiler sending very hot water.

Heat pump with radiators

If you are replacing a boiler and keeping the radiators, R290 gives you the temperature margin you need on freezing days. With 75 °C available, ordinary radiators work normally and do not need replacing. With an R32 limited to 60 °C it can still work, but only if the radiator surface is large enough. That is checked room by room during the heat loss calculation, not guessed.

To be fair: a pump that can deliver 75 °C is not set to run at 75 °C all winter. The heating curve lowers the flow temperature when it is milder outside, and for most of the season the water runs much cooler. The 75 °C is a reserve for the hard days and for homes whose radiators are borderline.

Heat pump with underfloor heating

Underfloor heating runs on warm water, not hot water. The 60 °C of an R32 is more than enough here, and the difference in maximum temperature stops mattering. The note on the R32 product pages says it plainly: they work most efficiently with underfloor heating or oversized radiators.

GWP and Regulation (EU) 2024/573: what it means for a buyer now

GWP (global warming potential) tells you how much a kilogram of gas warms the atmosphere compared with a kilogram of CO₂. The official values are in the annexes of Regulation (EU) 2024/573: R32 has a GWP of 675, propane (R290) 0.02. For comparison, R410A, used in older heat pumps, has 2,088.

On a real unit it looks like this: the Chofu R32 16 kW holds 2.80 kg of refrigerant, roughly 1.9 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. The Chofu R290 Premium 10 kW holds 1.15 kg of propane, about 23 grams of CO₂ equivalent. That is not a typo: the difference is more than 80,000 times.

What the regulation bans, and from when

Regulation 2024/573 has applied since March 2024 and works in two ways. First, quotas: the amount of HFCs (the family R32 belongs to) that may be placed on the market falls step by step to a complete phase-out in 2050. Second, bans on specific equipment types in Annex IV. For air-to-water heat pumps, according to the European Commission's summary:

Each ban has an exception where safety requirements at the site allow nothing else, but that does not apply to an ordinary house. With a GWP of 675, R32 is above the 150 threshold from 2027.

What this means if you buy now

• The ban concerns placing new equipment on the market. An R32 pump installed in your home does not become illegal in 2027; it can keep running and can still be repaired.
• From 1 January 2027, new R32 monobloc heat pumps can no longer enter the EU market. The R32 models in our catalogue will remain available only from stock placed on the market before then.
• A monobloc circuit is sealed at the factory and is not topped up periodically. Shrinking HFC quotas would only affect you in a repair that requires emptying and recharging the circuit.
• R290 is not a fluorinated gas, so none of these bans apply to it.

Is propane in a heat pump safe?

It is the question we hear most often after "will it work with radiators?". Propane is flammable and classed A3. R32 is not entirely non-flammable either: it is classed A2L, mildly flammable. What makes the practical difference is where the gas is and how much of it there is.

• The quantity is small. Chofu R290 models hold between 0.50 kg and 1.15 kg of propane, depending on output. The largest R32 model holds 2.80 kg of refrigerant.
• The gas stays outside. The pump is a monobloc: the whole refrigerant circuit is in the outdoor unit. Only water pipes enter the house, so there is no propane in your boiler room, bathroom or basement.
• The circuit is sealed at the factory. Nothing is opened or charged with refrigerant during installation.

Where care is needed: propane is heavier than air, so in the event of a leak it sinks. The outdoor unit is placed respecting the clearances in the installation manual from basement windows, drains and other openings below ground level. We check this during the site visit, before the quote. How loud the unit is and where to put it relative to the neighbours is covered in heat pump noise and placement.

Efficiency: what the Chofu datasheets show

This is where online debates usually turn ideological. The figures from the Chofu datasheets and EPREL tell a more nuanced story. Here are models of similar output side by side:

What the table tells us:

• At 35 °C flow, the underfloor regime, the seasonal figures are practically equal. Sometimes R32 even comes out slightly ahead. If you have underfloor heating, efficiency is not an argument for R290.
• At 55 °C flow, the radiator regime, the R290 models have an SCOP between 3.3 and 3.61, while the R32 models stay at 3.2. The gap opens exactly where the water has to be hotter.
• All the single-phase models in the table are rated A+++ at 35 °C and A++ at 55 °C in EPREL.

The table shows one more thing that holds for any refrigerant: the same pump uses 30–50% more electricity for the same heat when it runs at 55 °C instead of 35 °C. Flow temperature costs money whatever the gas. So with radiators, it pays to set the heating curve as low as it will go.

Installation, servicing and certification

Because Chofu pumps are monobloc, no refrigerant connections are made on site, so installation does not require an F-gas certificate. The installer works only on the water and electrical side, the same for R290 and R32. Details are on the heat pump installation page.

The difference only appears if the refrigerant circuit ever has to be opened. On R290 that job is done by a technician trained for flammable refrigerants, with suitable tools. It is not a repair for guesswork. The warranty is the same on both ranges: 3 years on the unit and 5 years on the compressor, under the conditions on the warranty page.

Which Chofu models are R290 and which are R32

Between Premium and Standard on R290, the main difference is behaviour in the cold: the Premium datasheets give the full rated output even at −7 °C outside (for example 10.0 kW on the 10 kW model), and the COP at A7/W35 is slightly higher. All models operate down to −20 °C outside. The price of each model is on its own page in the heat pump catalogue.

R290 or R32: how to choose

This is how we think about it, in order of importance:

1. What is in the house. Radiators you want to keep: R290. Underfloor heating throughout: both work equally well.
2. How much output you need. Output is calculated, not picked by refrigerant. If the house needs more than 12 kW, R290 stops at 12 kW while R32 has a 16 kW model. See how to choose the output of a heat pump.
3. How long you will keep it. If you want to stop thinking about fluorinated gas rules for the next 15 years, R290 closes the subject.
4. Budget. Compare prices of models with the same output on their pages. At some outputs the difference is small, at others it matters.

If you have radiators, choose R290. If you have underfloor heating only and need more than 12 kW, the 16 kW R32 is still a good choice while stock lasts.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between R290 and R32 in a heat pump?

R290 is propane, with a GWP of 0.02, and in Chofu pumps it heats water up to 75 °C. R32 is a fluorinated gas with a GWP of 675 and reaches 60 °C. At 35 °C flow the efficiency is practically the same; at 55 °C the R290 models have a better SCOP.

Can I still buy an R32 heat pump after 2027?

From 1 January 2027, new monobloc heat pumps with fluorinated gases of GWP 150 or more can no longer be placed on the EU market. Units placed on the market before then can be sold while stock lasts, and an R32 pump already installed keeps running and can still be repaired.

Is the propane in a heat pump dangerous?

Chofu R290 models hold between 0.50 and 1.15 kg of propane, sealed at the factory in the outdoor unit. Only water enters the house. The unit is installed outside, respecting the manual's clearances from openings below ground level.

Does an R290 heat pump work with old radiators?

In most cases yes, because it can deliver up to 75 °C flow. During sizing we check whether the radiator surface is enough for each room.

Do I need an F-gas certificate to install an R290 or R32 heat pump?

Not for Chofu monobloc pumps. The refrigerant circuit arrives sealed from the factory, and installation only connects water and power.

Which refrigerant is more efficient?

It depends on the flow temperature. With underfloor heating at 35 °C, the single-phase models of both ranges have an SCOP between 4.46 and 4.8. With radiators at 55 °C, R290 reaches 3.3–3.61 and R32 3.2.