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Ask Angie: Why is the price of A/C coolant going up?

Ask Angie: Why is the price of A/C coolant going up?
Talk with your A/C specialist to determine the best solution for your unit. (Photo courtesy of Robert Nettgen)

Talk with your A/C specialist to determine the best solution for your unit. (Photo courtesy of Robert Nettgen)

Date Published: Jun 12 2012
by Angie Hicks

Dear Angie: I recently had a heating and cooling contractor out to my home to inspect my air conditioner. He told me I was low on coolant and that it would cost more than $200 to add what I need. I had this done just a few years ago and the cost was significantly less. Am I being scammed? – Kathy B., Indianapolis.

Dear Kathy: The good news is that it’s very unlikely your heating and cooling specialist is trying to scam you. The bad news is that he’s likely right about the significant cost increase for the refrigerant.

If your air conditioner was manufactured before 2010, it could use a refrigerant known as R-22. The Environmental Protection Agency ordered the phasing out of this refrigerant because of its ozone-depleting properties and in its place is a new, more environmentally friendly refrigerant called R-410A. The new refrigerant, though, won’t work with the older R-22 units.

Because the old refrigerant is no longer being produced for new air conditioners, it is instead being reclaimed from older units as they’re replaced, but as it has become scarcer, the price has gone up and will only continue to increase. Industry experts I’ve talked to say the prices have jumped from about $30 for the first pound of refrigerant just two years ago to as much as $175 now, though prices can vary significantly by company based on how much of the refrigerant they have on hand and how much they paid for it when they purchased it. That is why it’s a good idea to call around to get prices before you have more R-22 added to your unit. Ninety percent of the refrigerant will be phased out by 2015 and it will be virtually obsolete by 2020.

What this means for you and homeowners in similar situations is that you must decide how you want to proceed. Do you continue to invest high repair costs in your older unit, or do you replace it with a newer, more efficient unit?

I recommend having a conversation with a licensed heating and cooling technician with a good reputation to discuss your specific situation and examine all your options. You could get several more years out of your unit, or it could be more cost effective now to replace it. Be sure any technician you hire who handles refrigerant holds the required EPA certification before working with the fluid.

Editor's note: The current version of this story above contains updates and clarifications that were not included in the originally published version.

Angie’s List collects about 65,000 consumer reports each month covering more than 550 categories of home-related services. Angie Hicks compiles the best advice from the most highly rated service pros on Angie’s List to answer your questions. Ask Angie your question at askangie@angieslist.com.

 

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More Like This

AC coolant regulation changes affecting homeowners

If you need to have coolant added to your air conditioner this summer, brace yourself; you might be in for a shock. The cost for fixing that leak could cost you more than in years past. Consumers have reported spending two and three times the amount for a common type of refrigerant than in previous years. Talk to a reputable HVAC company to discuss your options.

Comments

Submitted by Bob Rothman on Thu, 2012-07-05 10:54
The term is "refrigerant" rather than coolant. Coolant is used in radiators in automobiles. The current price of R-22 in Dayton Ohio is $75.00 per pound from my HVAC Contractors. She is being overcharged by as much as $100 per pound. A new A/C system including condensor, evaporator, line set and refrigerant should cost about $2,000. It is absolutely a must to replace the line set (refrigerant lines from the condensor to the evaporator) when installing a new R-410 system as the old lines are smaller and will cause excessive pressure in the new system if not replaced. This could ruin a new condensor in less than 3 years and affect the quality of the air conditioning produced.

Submitted by Sherrie Lemnios on Tue, 2012-07-10 15:08
I just had some R-22 refrigerant replaced in my A/C units and the cost was $26 per pound. This is on the Outer Banks of NC.

Submitted by BRIAN C TERSTEGGE on Wed, 2012-07-18 17:02
I HAVE BEEN IN THE HVAC INDUSTRY FOR OVER 35 YRS CURRENTLY RUN TWO HVAC BRANCHES ALL LEADING EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURE LINE SIZING CHARTS SHOWS SMALLER NOMINAL LINE SIZES FOR USE WITH R410A OVER R22 AS LONG AS THE EXISTING LINE SET IS PROPERLY FLUSHED INSPECTED YOU WILL POSE NO PROBLEM WITH THE CHANGEOVER

Submitted by Michael Nordstrom on Thu, 2012-07-05 10:59
This same scam was perpetrated on the whole automobile industry years ago when a moratorium on the production of R-12 was put into place. Speculators lost a lot of money banking on the fact that refrigerant would continue to rise in price. Many replacement refrigerants came out soon afterwards and even retro kits that allowed the new refrigerants to work in the older systems.

Submitted by Larry on Sat, 2012-07-14 06:54
Mike is right about the scam perpetrated on the automotive public. Back when it all was happening I had a full service mechanic shop in Arizona where air conditioning was not an option, it was mandatory if you wanted to live. R-12 was a very widely used refrigerant and was found in everything that got cold, from your refrigerators to the local malls. As I later found out, the subsequent change to R-22 was wrapped up in political and environmental cronyism and had its beginnings in California, (which having been involved in California politics I had no doubts) and like so many things politicians do, there was an investigation into conflicts of interest, which of course went nowhere. Without mentioning names. I will say that the major producer of the new R-22 refrigerant had very close ties to the higher-ups in California government that passed the legislation that eventually went nation wide. The result for me was that many of my customers were bringing in R-12 canisters that they were getting from sources in Mexico and wanting me to recharge their systems with it in violation of the new laws. I could only tell them that if the canisters had statements of production from any country other than the US, I could not use them. Before the new law came into effect, R-12 was widely available in California and Arizona for around $3 to $4 per 16 oz pressurized container. Almost overnight, the cost increased tenfold, and continued to rise. A lot of 'connected' people made a lot of money, and now the stage is set to do it again! IMHO, it's all based on the EPA's contention that the refrigerant caused the Ozone issue. I don't believe that for a second. 99.999% of refrigerant is contained within a sealed system, and although leaks can and do occur, most happen over a period of time and not all at once, as the EPA would have everyone believe. How do I know this? Before going professional in automotive, I was an HVAC Engineer with Trane Home Comfort Systems in Southern California.

Submitted by Doug on Thu, 2012-07-05 12:21
Angie, your right on this one. I remember before R-22, there was R-12. I feel your advise on replacing older A/C units only makes sense. I replace my entire HVAC system 4 years ago and due to the efficiency I think it has just about paid for itself during these 95+ degree weeks, lately. The house had a 18 year old system in place when I moved in and I started doing my homework on HVAC systems. This first year of cooling the house during extreme days was expensive. My A/C unit was a 4 ton model, now replaced with a 16 SEER high efficiency 2 1/2 ton unit. I had also replaced inefficient flex pipe duct work with a straight sealed ducting and that increased overall air circulation in the entire house. Comparable months of electrical bills now have a $100.00 - $126.00 a month lower cooling bill. Had I taken the chance and kept the old system, as some replacement parts are no longer available, I might be sitting in front of a fan, full blast, in my under ware, trying to cool off. Also due to recent power outages, I am considering a solar panel system to power the entire HVAC system, and this one works on cloudy days, also. Anything over that goes right back into the grid and I get paid for the excess power. So far, the cost is more than a generator, but no maintenance, or gas, oil, or fumes to contend with, and it works all the time except at night. This would pay for itself faster than the new HVAC did. There are federal tax credits for it, too. Nothing but a win-win.

Submitted by Steve Schweitzer on Thu, 2012-07-05 12:48
No air conditioning system should leak refrigerant regularly. If your system is low you have a leak that must be repaired. Otherwise being low on coolant is suspect.

Submitted by Chere on Thu, 2012-07-05 13:19
While the article above was mildly truthful the comments about the R-22 not working in systems manufactured prior to 2010 is more that a little incorrect. 2010 was the year that manufacturing of R-22 machines was ceased by law. However manufacturers have been building R-410A systems since 2001 and there are many out there. Also the one thing to note about the new refrigerant is that the R-410A is a blend of gasses so if your systems looses more than half of the charge the right thing for the servicing company to do is to pull the rest of the charge out and recharge the system to specifications with fresh R-410A. Unfortunately for the customer this can be extremely costly but if it is not done it can do more damage to the system because the blend of gasses will not be correct. This and the fact that R-410A has been shown to be more detrimental to the environment are the major reasons large corporations such as DuPont are investing in researching a new refrigerant that is more stable and more environmentally friendly.

Submitted by Julius Roman on Thu, 2012-07-05 14:33
Ever since Vice President Al Gore began his holy war on air conditioners to prevent man caused global warming, 4 things have happened: 1. 9 out of 10 predictions have proven false with time. 2. In addition to refrigeration gasses costs, all cooling costs have increased, especially with the damage done to them by the original replacements. 3. NASA has confirmed via thousands of precise worldwide measurements taken from orbiting satellites and the space station that the temperature increase forecast has NOT taken place, and the earth bound readings used to claim so are due to faulty methodology. 4. The prime purpose was to reduce our "carbon footprint" or, in other words, the CO2 gas we produce. The replacement gasses for freon have resulted in 1200 times the production of CO2 as did freon gasses. And....... one more thing. Although all the various conversions and "reductions" have cost the public between 80 and 1000 billion dollars, minimum, Al Gore has made over 100 million dollars profit through his scare tactics while his own carbon footprint quadrupled.

Submitted by CRAIG CASTNER on Sat, 2012-07-07 12:23
Scare Tactic worked for George Bush (i.e. Iraq) didn't it?

Submitted by sunny on Wed, 2012-07-11 13:30
To your comment -What in the %#*^%$#@ does the scam by the Environmentalist- EPA- Gore have to do with George W.? Really angry person aren't you. You are a sad - angry fellow. :-(

Submitted by Larry on Sat, 2012-07-14 07:04
Craig, this isn't the place to bring party politics into play, there are thousands of forums and blog sites on the web for that. We ALL know politics plays a huge part of everything that is wrong in America.

Submitted by Greg Coblentz on Mon, 2012-07-16 12:07
I knew it was a scam from the beginning. It’s nothing more than corporations like DuPont to make billions of dollars and people like Al Gore to live like a king. When are people going to learn you can’t trust the liberals.

Submitted by Mark Terry on Tue, 2013-03-19 18:31
I know this feels right to you, but banning chlorinated hydrocarbon refrigerants had nothing to do with global warming or Al Gore. This process was put into place when the US signed onto the Montreal Protocol in 1987 during the presidency of Ronald Reagan. Chlorine containing refrigerants were phased out because they destroy the ozone layer. The ozone layer is quite important in blocking UV radiation.

Submitted by Ed Hayes on Thu, 2012-07-05 14:49
Is it the production of R-22 that has stopped? Or is it the production of R-22 based cooling units? I wouldn't think that they would stop producing the coolant at the same time of the last production date of the cooling units.

Submitted by Chere on Thu, 2012-07-12 14:00
Unfortunately the amount of R-22 produced and/or imported into the United States is under a moratorium. As of today the President has yet to sign the appropriate extension legislation allowing import and production of R-22 into the United States. That is the main reason the cost of R-22 is increasing the way it is. The production of R-22 systems was ceased in 2010.

Submitted by Julius Roman on Thu, 2012-07-05 15:05
Ever since Vice President Al Gore began his holy war on air conditioners to prevent man caused global warming, 4 things have happened: 1. 9 out of 10 predictions have proven false with time. 2. In addition to refrigeration gasses costs, all cooling costs have increased, especially with the damage done to them by the original replacements. 3. NASA has confirmed via thousands of precise worldwide measurements taken from orbiting satellites and the space station that the temperature increase forecast has NOT taken place, and the earth bound readings used to claim so are due to faulty methodology. 4. The prime purpose was to reduce our "carbon footprint" or, in other words, the CO2 gas we produce. The replacement gasses for freon have resulted in 1200 times the production of CO2 as did freon gasses. And....... one more thing. Although all the various conversions and "reductions" have cost the public between 80 and 1000 billion dollars, minimum, Al Gore has made over 100 million dollars profit through his scare tactics while his own carbon footprint quadrupled.

Submitted by Daniel Woodman on Thu, 2012-07-05 15:26
Yet another perfect example of the federal government encroaching upon our lives, impinging our freedoms, and making it hard for the middle class to succeed. They can't keep foreign invaders from crossing our borders, and yet they want to make U.S. citizens pay an arm and a leg for a product that MIGHT hurt the ozone layer, which MIGHT affect air quality, which MIGHT have a microscopic impact on the life of an ant in Asia. Obama: DEFEND OUR FREEDOMS--STOP TAKING THEM AWAY!

Submitted by Craig Marlowe on Thu, 2012-07-05 15:49
Wholesale cost of r-22 is about $10/lb. there is no excuse for the charges claimed in this article. I had hoped that Angie's list would be more honest with consumers

Submitted by Erin on Fri, 2012-07-06 15:54
Craig, I could not agree with you more. Seems to me Angie's list has accepted payment from HVAC contractors to submit this article as a marketing ploy. As a paid subscriber, I expect better from Angie's List.

Submitted by NR on Fri, 2012-07-13 06:06
Angie's List DISINFORMATION. SHAME ON YOU. Exactly. do a Google search for R22. It is sold in 30 lb containers. The size and type of your gas grill propane tanke. Price for 30 lbs is about 4-450 or so. Even if it is higher, there is absolutely no way anyone should be charged $175 for the first pound of charge. This is assuming that the $175 only represents the cost of the R22, and does not include the cost of service, travel, etc., etc. Considering that this article was headlined in an Angie's List emailing, your writer and your editor should be fired. We are paying for valid information to avoid being scammed. If this article represents the quality of your advice and research, I'll take my business elsewhere.

Submitted by joe on Wed, 2013-04-17 20:58
R22 costs per pound verys do to when you bought it. You have to buy 30 lbs the price is over $500.00 per jug. A company must charge to enable them to buy more. My question is why are there leaks in your unit. Get them fixed if you dont want to pay.

Submitted by Doug Jacobsen on Thu, 2012-07-05 15:54
Anybody have any ideas on how to find out when your A/C was manufactured and what type of coolant it uses? I think I can find my owner's manual but not everybody may have that option, especially if the A/C came with the house.

Submitted by James J James on Sat, 2012-07-14 10:18
The type of refrigerant is on the model tag on the unit. Unless your unit is under 5 years old it likely has r-22

Submitted by roger on Mon, 2013-02-11 17:20
date of manufacture, refrigerant,and installation date should be on the manufacturers tag with serial number inside out door unit next to or no compressor and record of service tag should be attached to inlet fittings

Submitted by Larry Wright on Thu, 2012-07-05 15:55
There is no WAY in the world that ANY coolant, which is heavier than air can reach 30 plus miles into the atmosphere! This is another EPA scam in order to phase out manufacturing in the United States. If you simply want to fill your car with R134a, which replaced R-12 in the early 90's, you will have to pay 16 plus dollars for 4 ounces of the stuff, which isn't even harmful to the environment... THE EPA IS A BUNCH OF NUT CASES and it is costing us millions. Pool chlorine does more to "harm" the ozone layer than any of this other stuff EVER could!

Submitted by Jane Vranish on Thu, 2012-07-05 16:00
I have had issues with Puron since my air conditioner was installed. They replaced just about everything. But my most recent repairman had a thoughtful explanation. He said that I should NEVER need Puron replaced, that the service people don't know how to handle it. After five or six years, I didn't need it replaced for the first time. You should check into that.

Submitted by Mike on Thu, 2012-07-05 16:10
I have a c-store and have switched one of my coolers over to R-22a. It is a new refrigerant on the market as a replacement for R-22. Your serviceman will need to pump all of the R-22 out of your system so there is no contamination between the two different refrigerants. He will also need to know how many ounces of refrigerant your system holds. We have been running R-22a since February and have had no problems

Submitted by Chere on Thu, 2012-07-12 13:57
The problem with the R-22a is that it voids any type of warranty from the manufacturer. It does not allow the system to work at the same efficiency as the original refrigerant.

Submitted by roger on Mon, 2013-02-11 17:22
actually r-134 is the correct replacement for r-12 but can be used for r-22 as well, r-410 and r-201 are for subzero cooling like walk in freezers

Submitted by Jesse on Thu, 2012-07-05 16:40
We just went through the same thing. You are exactly right Angie. We ended up replacing our AC unit which was 12 yrs old. MUCH BETTER!~

Submitted by Kathleen M. Ste... on Thu, 2012-07-05 17:22
I appreciate the information you've provided. Thank you.

Submitted by David Rabalais on Thu, 2012-07-05 17:33
In this article, "coolant" should be "refrigerant." "Coolant" is an incorrect term in this case. I recently had my old system recharged and paid $210 for 3.5 lbs of R22, and that was a good price. I am going to the system replaced with a new unit soon.

Submitted by John Frykman on Thu, 2012-07-05 18:18
R-22 is still manufactured all over the world--except for the US. It was banned in the US because of a fear that the ozone layer in the atmosphere was at risk and that R-22 refrigerant was partially responsible. This has now been proven false, as R-22 is being dumped into the atmosphere by the ton in underdeveloped countries, yet the ozone layer has "miraculously" recovered. You don't hear much about the ozone layer anymore, do you? That is because it once again was nothing but a fear-based meme just as the global warming/climate change nonsense is being promulgated by the government as the crisis of the day. It also is nonsense.

Submitted by John Frykman on Thu, 2012-07-05 18:21
R-22 is still manufactured all over the world--except for the US. It was banned in the US because of a fear that the ozone layer in the atmosphere was at risk and that R-22 refrigerant was partially responsible. This has now been proven false, as R-22 is being dumped into the atmosphere by the ton in underdeveloped countries, yet the ozone layer has "miraculously" recovered. You don't hear much about the ozone layer anymore, do you? That is because it once again was nothing but a fear-based meme just as the global warming/climate change nonsense is being promulgated by the government as the crisis of the day. It also is nonsense.

Submitted by Keith Maw on Fri, 2012-07-06 15:16
R22 replaced CFC-11 & CFC-12 which were clearly harmful to the ozone layer. R22 is much less harmful to the ozone layer, but unfortunately has a very high global warming potential, more than 1800 times the effect of CO2. Most ozone-depleting chemicals have a very long persistence in the upper atmosphere, so even as global production of these compounds has decreased dramatically, we continue to see an Antarctic ozone hole at record or near-record levels, and will for some time into the future. The only reason that we don't hear about the ozone hole is that the media has moved on to the next issue, or the Kardashians. See http://www.theozonehole.com/

Submitted by H Poole on Thu, 2012-07-05 19:55
Somebody might think this is true, but R-22 coolant is readily available in factory-sealed containers on Ebay for between $4 and $90 per pound. Bottom line, you're getting screwed. The technicians will tell you they charge that much because of "recovery and recycling costs," which is bullcrap if they are replacing coolant that already leaked out. http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=r-22+&_sacat=0&_odkw=r-22+coolant&_osacat=0

Submitted by john craig on Thu, 2012-07-05 21:31
This is just great!!--After upgrading my furnace and air conditioning only 7 short years ago to a new higher efficiency model, now I find out the coolant needed for the AC is on its way out, and in the meantime will be overly expensive should it be needed. So after 7 short years I will be forced to upgrade my AC once again to avoid paying exhorbitant coolant fees. These coolant prices are entirely out of line and unfair to those of us who have done a recent upgrade hoping to save some money--now, instead saving money with a more efficient system, all those savings will be eaten up servicing these relatively new systems. When the new coolant was introduced, why wasn't it made backwards compatible? Guess this is how the industry gets more profit forcing owners of relatively new systems to upgrade once again in short order!

Submitted by john stevens on Fri, 2013-05-10 17:16
ditto comments here, lots of brand new tanks priced $12-20/lb depending on size and shipping. but just heard watercooler talk that new stuff isnt that great and will probably be phased out next few years, i'll keep adding a lb every spring till our govt figures out how to make more in taxes on the next version of refrigerant. ya gotta love em...after all we cant shoot em.

Submitted by jim on Thu, 2012-07-05 23:13
I recently priced R22 at a wholesale supplier and it was $12/lb. I asked my HVAC technician why he was charging $49.50/lb when I priced it at $12/lb; he cut his price in half. Best to get educated on this by calling a local HVAC parts supplier.

Submitted by Erin on Fri, 2012-07-06 15:59
Jim you got a deal. I was charged $100 per lb not knowing any better. I agree that you should do your own homework and call around to compare prices. Unfortunately you can't even trust Angie's list as they profit from businesses who advertise in these so-called "expert" emails. Buyer beware!

Submitted by homebeforedark on Mon, 2012-08-27 13:20
It's not just freon prices that have a huge markup. My parents AC system failed again and this time it was the start/run capacitor. The service charged $150.00 for the part itself. I found the exact same one for $35.00 at the local appliance parts distributor. I understand that a parts marup is important but almost 500%?

Submitted by Mark on Fri, 2012-07-06 01:28
You are incorrect that new R-22 is no longer being produced. According to an article on the EPA website, "...chemical manufacturers will no longer be able to produce, and companies will no longer be able to import, R-22 for use in new A/C equipment after 2010, but they can continue production and import of R-22 until 2020 for use in servicing existing equipment." https://www.acca.org/archives/industry-resources/government-affairs/hot-air/6509 So there is no need for Kathy to use reclaimed R-22. Further, according to an article by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, as of August 2011, there was actually an oversupply of R-22: https://www.acca.org/archives/industry-resources/government-affairs/hot-air/6509 But because of this, the EPA is reducing allocations by up to 35%. Despite the recent oversupply, markets begin to react to future changes, now. So suppliers are likely anticipating lower supplies in the future by raising prices now. And by the way, a quick search suggests I can get 30 lb of R-22 for $425 right now. http://r22.org/prod_list.php?sci=3 That's $14 per lb. -- a far cry from $145 even marked up for a reasonable profit by a HVAC technician. Angie, are you working for your individual subscribers or for the contractors? Please give us more reliable info next time. Perhaps Kathy *IS* being scammed.

Submitted by Mike Plymale on Fri, 2012-07-06 10:35
I just read the article about the supply of R22 getting scarce and price ripoffs. I am including 2 website links about replacement refrigerant for all old ones, R12 also. The first site is the manufacture and explains all about the environmentally safe refrigerant replacements. The second site is where I have found the cheapest place to purchase them with free shipping. I have used the R22 replacement in my own system and it works great, much cheaper than replacing the entire system with a new one! Most of the HVAC contractors aren't aware of these products for some reason. If you show your contractor their availability he may be able to get them for use on your system or he may let you purchase them and install it for you. If you can do your own maintenance you can purchase them directly without having to have a license. MANUFACTURE WEBSITE: http://www.es-refrigerants.com/default.asp, CHEAPEST VENDOR WEBSITE (R22a 30lb cylinder $150) with free shipping: www.autorefrigerants.com . Good luck and I hope this saves you some money!

Submitted by James J James on Sat, 2012-07-14 06:33
All though your information about replacements is very true it has some drawbacks. I am the owner of a HVAC company and I will just add a very important piece of information to your response. The replacement refrigerant for R-22 contains methane gas which is very flamable. If you have a system that is losing refrigerant the methane which is under lower pressure, does not tend to leak out as fast as the higher pressure chemicals that make up the replacement. As with all replacements, they are made up of a mixture of refrigerants and chemicals to obtain the same boil off temperatures as the gas you are trying to replace. Each time this leaks out you lose the higher pressure chemicals and leave some of the lower pressure chemicals. This changes the make up of the gas each time you add more refrigerant. leaving more methane as well as some of the other lower pressure chemicals each time, making for a refigerant that does not work as well and also is very flamable. Since we use torches to braze the lines together when replacing the unit or doing repairs, this could be a very dangerous. If you are using R-417A {mo-59} as a replacement, just make sure to read the saftey data sheet and understand you are reducing the efficiency of the AC as well as possibly creating a very dangerous situation for the guy who may work on it down the road who is not aware the system was altered. I hope this information is helpful to you as is only intended as information to be used by qualified technicians. On a side note - I agree that the price some contractors are charging is out of line. We charge $75 for the first pound and we reduce the price on a sliding scale depending on how much refrigerant the custmer needs all the way down to $25 per pound.

Submitted by Wes Haddix on Fri, 2012-07-06 12:11
I remember R12, aka "freon", being replaced by the more " environmentally friendly" R-whatever ir was. A LICENSE was required to buy freon for servicing systems that used it; the new refrigerant could not be used in older freon based units and was less efficient. Now, the same scenario is playing out all over again, and I guarantee it won't be the last time. I also guarantee those ne'er do-wells in the EPA office s are feeling the refreshing breeze of the older R134A systems, and will until enough of our tax dollars are allocated to replace the HVAC systems with new units. This is scam perpetuated by people in power in the EPA who want to tax us for breathing, so this should come as a surprise to nobody.

Submitted by Erin on Fri, 2012-07-06 16:03
You have to question information presented along with "featured providers" a.k.a paid advertisers. Yes R22 is expensive for many reasons but that does not mean that you have to take it at face value when an HVAC Contractor tells you it is $100 per pound to replace because "the cost of R22 keeps increasing". Do your own homework. Shame on you Angie's List for not presenting unbiased information but instead presenting information which furthers the cause of your paid advertisers.

Submitted by Joe Werderitsh on Fri, 2012-07-06 16:29
I work for a manufacturer of heating and air conditioning equipment and one of my duties is to purchase refrigerant for our tesing laboratory. Since we are an OEM, we are able to purchase refrigerant at wholesale costs. Currently, we are paying $3.44/pound for R410a and $9.25/pound for R-22. In our area, distributor prices for R-22 is anywhere from $11 to $13 per pound. Since refrigerant is considered a part, is is common for the field technician to charge twice what he paid for a pound of refrigerant. This is the same as your auto mechanic charging you $20 for a set of spark plugs he paid $10 for, and that's fair. But it is true that there is some serious price gouging going on in the HVAC business as far the cost per pound of refrigerant. We have some technicians who do field service on the side and they have been charging people up to $40 per pound which is a little more that 4 times what they paid for it from our Lab supply. Some of our techs even use our filtered reclaimed R-22 which they get for free. And people will pay sometimes anything to keep cool in 100° heat. The statement is incorrect that R-22 is no longer produced. I fact, it can be produced until the year 2020 for use in the service industry only. OEMs, however, have not been able to produce new R-22 systems since 2010. But the industry has found a loophole. Units made to operate on R-22 are being manufactured today without and refrigerant in them. They have a nitrogen charge only. These are used primarily for export to other countries who do not have a ban on R-22 or who refuse to use R-410a due to the higher operating pressures. But, I'm sure someone has found a way to legally sell uncharged R-22 systems in this country, although I'm not aware of it. But not to worry, because of higher operating pressures and the unpopularity in the foreign market, the industry is currently working on a new environmentally friendly refrigerant to replace R-410a. Back to the original issue, if you are being charged $30 to $175 per pound of R-22, let your service tech know is is charging too much or call your Better Business Bureau and file a complaint.

Submitted by daniel on Fri, 2012-07-06 21:26
R-22is roghly 13 per pound but it is supply and demand just like oil companies charge what you want there are several repalcements just have to change the oilto many a/c units out there to just quit making it

Submitted by Wayne on Sat, 2012-07-07 08:52
I help manage the property of my church. We have a large number of AC unit on our campus. Our HVAC company suggested we could save a sizeable cost on our upkeep by buy and having available R22 for our own use. He arrange to get 2 tanks, which we store and are available to him to service our needs. Our price per pound went from $ 45 to under $16. I don't know of too many companires willing to suggest an opportunity like this. He will also save us money on the overall contract because we have it there and available.

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