Cost of freon 22

[ransley]

I was just charged 28 dollars a pound for freon 22, did I get taken.

[Oren]

Did not the price go up on this freon in Jan '10?

Costly now, so I'm told?

[Stormin Mormon]

Lot of factors go on, here. Of course, retail is higher than wholesale. Now that R22 isn't made any more, it's going to go up in price. Also, that markup helps pay taxes, wages, taxes, equipment costs, taxes, advertising, taxes, and of course, taxes.

Sounds about right, to me.

[Jack Hammer]

Count yourself lucky that you can still get it.

[Frank]

Big mark-up but probably not outrageous:

[ransley]

I know nothing about freon or prices, He evacuated it after he fixed the leak and it took 10 lb of R22, a 3 ton unit.

[LSMFT]

Is that one can?

[Frank]

That much, I think you got taken. 4X markup is too much. Just a pound, maybe OK but not 10. I assume rest of his work was not for free either.

[Ralph Mowery]

If this is the current price, it is just under $ 7 per pound.

About 10 years ago I bought the same 30 pound container for about $ 70.

If the $ 28 per pound was the installed price, it still sounds high. Service men used to atleast double the price of most of ther the parts and add in their time to come out and do the job.

If the unit was evacuated and serviced and then refilled, that $ 28 may be part of the work.

[Ralph Mowery]

Cut and pasted :

The Clean Air Act does not allow any refrigerant to be vented into the atmosphere during installation, service, or retirement of equipment. Therefore, R-22 must be recovered and recycled (for reuse in the same system), reclaimed (reprocessed to the same purity standard as new R-22), or destroyed. After 2020, the servicing of R-22-based systems will rely solely on recycled or reclaimed refrigerants. It is expected that reclamation and recycling will ensure that existing supplies of R-22 will last longer and be available to service a greater number of systems. As noted above, 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. Given this schedule, which was established in

1993, the transition away from R-22 to the use of ozone-friendly refrigerants should be smooth. For the next 10 years or more, R-22 should continue to be available for all systems that require R-22 for servicing.

MY comments:

I think it was Jan 1 , 2010 that new systems could not be installed with the r-22 in it. About 4 years ago the 20 some year old heat pump in my house went out. I had a choice of the r-22 or another type. I went with the r-22 as it operates at a lower pressure and less stress on the systems should let it last longer. I knew all about the phase out as I had to get licensed for the refrigerant where I work. I don't deal with the actual refrigerant, but do have to install instrumentation on the systems.

If there was still much refrigerant in the system, he should have recycled it. Could have saved it in a seperate tank and taken it somewhere to reclaim it. If he just opened it to the air and let it all blead out, there is a big fine for it. Something like $ 10 to $ 30 thousand.

[skeeter]

i just paid $31.oo per pound.

[Jeff Thies]

Wandering OT a bit here. I believe propane has similar properties as R22. Hydrocarbons make good refrigerants, flamable for sure, but so is mineral oil.

Probably illegal for home use.

Jeff (who has used propane/isobutane for R12)

[Bob Villa]

I just had some commercial work done (Carrier Split-System) and it was $10/lbs.

[The Daring Dufas]

The supply houses around here sell a 30lb cylinder for $200.00-$240.00. Most repair techs sell it to the end user for $30.00/lb and up. Commercial accounts may pay less.

TDD