The production phaseout did not hit every ozone depleting refrigerant at the same time. Which sequence did the production controls actually follow?
- Chlorofluorocarbons were phased out of production first, with hydrochlorofluorocarbons following on a later schedule
- BHydrochlorofluorocarbons were phased out of production first because they were the most widely installed refrigerants in the field
How many machines held a refrigerant never set the schedule; measured ozone damage did. Reversing the order because R-22 was everywhere is the common mistake here.
- CBoth chlorine bearing families were cut off from production on the same date under a single deadline
A shared deadline would have left no transitional refrigerant for R-12 equipment to move onto. The two families were given separate dates matched to their ozone ratings.
- DHydrofluorocarbons lost production first, ahead of either chlorine bearing family, because of their ozone ratings
That family carries no chlorine and no ozone depletion potential, so it was never part of the ozone driven production phaseout. Its later limits come from a separate climate program.
Why A is correct
The phaseout order followed ozone depletion potential. The fully halogenated chlorofluorocarbons did the most damage and were stopped first; hydrochlorofluorocarbons, with much lower ratings, were allowed a longer transition period.
What this question is testing
Tests understanding that the phaseout was staged by ozone depletion potential and can be tied to the refrigerant transitions technicians actually encountered.
On the job
This sequence explains the equipment a technician meets on the street. A 1985 machine likely started life on a chlorofluorocarbon and may have been retrofitted; a 1998 machine almost certainly ran R-22 and was still legal to install long after the older refrigerant disappeared. Knowing the order helps you predict what is in an unlabeled system by its age and helps you explain to an owner why parts and refrigerant get expensive.
Memory technique
Worst offender, first out the door. The molecule with the most chlorine and no hydrogen leads the line.
Exam tip
Highest ozone depletion potential goes first. That single rule reproduces the whole phaseout order without memorizing dates.
Where to look it up
Chlorofluorocarbon production ended first; hydrochlorofluorocarbons such as R-22 followed on a later schedule.