What's up with Freon prices and why does it cost so much to re-charge your A/C system??

Some of our clients have been shocked at the recent prices of re-charging their air conditioning systems. This is a direct result of a dramatic increase in the price of the most common Freon refrigerant in older air conditioning systems, known as R-22.  In some cases, prices for R-22 Freon have more than doubled this year. Since January 2003, the price has increased by more than 500%!

Why have the prices increased so much?
In January, 2010 the EPA banned the manufacture of new air conditioners using R-22 because of its ozone-depleting effects. The use of R-22 was not banned, but R-22 can only be produced or imported for the servicing of existing equipment. The reductions were designed to reduce consumption by 75%. 

By January, 2015 consumption must be reduced by 90% and by January 2020 consumption must be reduced by 99.5%. Production of R-22 will be banned in January 2020.

In January, 2012, the EPA proposed a significant reduction in the production and distribution of R-22 by as much as fifty percent, apparently to expedite the reductions. This is why pricing has increased so dramatically this year. And owners of systems containing R-22 should expect to see costs continue to rise dramatically over the next five to ten years as supplies diminish.

As R-22 is phased out, non-ozone depleting alternatives have been introduced. One of the EPA approved alternatives is R-410A which is sold under various trade names, including GENETRON, AZ-20®, SUVA 410A®, Forane 410A® and Puron®.  Another alternative is R-407C, which is allowed in retrofits of existing R-22 systems.

How does this effect the cost of recharging a system?

A typical system will hold 7-11 pounds of refrigerant. Prices of R-22 have been as high as $80-$90 per pound,  whereas a few years ago pricing was closer to $20 per pound. So on a typical unit, pricing could be as high as $900 or $1,000 just to replace the freon! Typically, however, Alarca's vendors have been providing this service in the $400-$500 range.

Replacing or retrofitting your A/C System

R410A refrigerant costs about $25 per pound. The difference in pricing versus R-22 has made it worthwhile to consider retrofitting or replacing your unit the next time it needs a significant amount of Freon.

The transition to systems using the new refrigerants required redesign of heat pump and air conditioning systems.  Systems using R-22 are NOT compatible with the R410A but are compatible with R-407C.

If your system needs replacement, you should insist in a system that uses R-410A. These systems will be more efficient and will save the cost of a retrofit down the road.