R-22 has been used as a refrigerant in various refrigeration, industrial cooling, air conditioning, and heating applications for over six decades. The low ozone depletion potential (ODP) of R-22 compared to R-11 and R-12, as well as its excellent refrigerant properties have helped facilitate the transition away from chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

Since the phase-out of CFCs, R-22 has been the dominant refrigerant in residential and commercial air conditioning. It has also been used in some very large centrifugal chillers for air conditioning and industrial process cooling. Being a hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC), R-22 is subject to reduced production and restriction in new equipment. Different regions and countries are following different time phaseout frames and many diverse industries still depend on R-22 refrigerant for decades