Freon Prices Are Only Going to Go Up

A frequent complaint, “My air conditioning contractor just charged me $100 or $175 or more per pound for R-22 refrigerant. This is way more then I paid five years ago. Is this a fair price these days?”

Prices for R-22 refrigerant, also known as “Freon,” have risen over the past few years. About 25 years ago, the EPA ordered the phasing out of R-22 as part of the international treaty on protecting the ozone layer called the “Montreal Protocol,” because of the refrigerant’s ozone-depleting substances.

As part of the agreement, production ended in 2010 for new air conditioning units “charged” with R-22 and production of the refrigerant itself was reduced by 75 percent. As of 2015, R-22 production has dropped by 90 percent. By 2020, it will no longer be produced at all. Because production is limited, costs to charge existing units that are leaking R-22 refrigerant have gone up and are only expected to rise. 

Two options remain:

1. HVAC units constructed after 2010 are no longer using R-22 Freon. It may be time to think about replacing your unit with a more ecofriendly unit.
2. Or get the leak fixed permanently, which may also be costly detective work to find a hidden leak.

Arundel Cooling specializes in replacing older units with high efficiency HVAC units. Please contact Jeff Greer at Arundel Cooling and Heating at (443) 457-1060 to get the conversation started.

Arundel Cooling and Heating is a leading installation and service company in the Baltimore area serving Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County, Howard County and beyond.
 

Contact Information

Jeff Greer

Operations Manager

Arundel Cooling, Heating & Electrical

(1) (443) 457-1060

jeff@arundelcooling.com