When it comes to heat pump technology, the refrigerant inside the system can have just as much impact as the hardware itself. At Wright Renewables, we exclusively install Vaillant heat pumps, and one of the biggest reasons is the use of R290 refrigerant in their AroTHERM Plus Mono unit.
But why does this matter? It’s all about efficiency, performance, and environmental responsibility — and R290 leads the pack in all three.
R290 is a natural refrigerant, also known as propane, and it has one of the lowest Global Warming Potential (GWP) ratings in the industry — just 3. Compare that to older refrigerants like R410A, which has a GWP of 2,088, and you’ll quickly see the scale of improvement. Even R32, a more modern refrigerant used in many popular heat pumps, still clocks in with a GWP of 675.
To put it simply: R290 is over 99% less harmful to the planet than R32, and over 99.8% lower than R410A. That’s a serious leap forward for reducing carbon footprints in UK homes.
If every home switching to a heat pump used R290 instead of R32, the cumulative reduction in emissions would be the equivalent of taking thousands of cars off the road. And when we’re looking at whole-street or new build developments, the environmental impact adds up fast.
The Vaillant AroTHERM Plus Mono is designed from the ground up to take full advantage of R290’s properties. Unlike other systems that need to be adjusted to accommodate refrigerant limits, the AroTHERM safely uses R290 to produce:
In addition, it comes with built-in future proofing. From 2025, the UK is phasing out high-GWP refrigerants in line with the F-gas regulations. Choosing a low-GWP system like AroTHERM Plus today means you're avoiding forced upgrades tomorrow.
We don’t cut corners on technology, service, or values. We only install Vaillant heat pumps because we believe their engineering is the best available, and their customer support is second to none — particularly in terms of spare parts availability and repair times.
“R290 is the future of heat pumps, and Vaillant’s AroTHERM is ahead of the curve. It’s efficient, reliable, and ready for the next generation of British homes,”
– Lee Rolfe, Managing Director
As a local, Worksop-based installer working across Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire, we also care deeply about our environment and community. The less damage we do now, the more we preserve for the future — and R290 is part of that promise.
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