Freon® Cost

Your Money

Freon® is a registered trade mark on Dupont.  R-22 is also referred to as Freon by many and is the most widely used refrigerant.  Freon cost is on the rise due to government regulations on its production.  Many companies are now charging as much as $250 per pound.  Others have even gone to charging by the ounce.  Make sure when considering Freon cost that you know how much r-22 your a/c system takes.  This is normally written on the data plate of the a/c condensing unit.  It will be either written in pounds and ounces or in ounces only.  If it shows in ounces dived that number by 16 to show pounds and ounces.  The amount your system should use is going to be just slightly higher than the plate, due to the copper line set.

Freon Cost

The EPA has determined that r-22 and other refrigerants are harming our ozone layer.  Thus have placed limits on its production and has set a year for phasing out completely.  Because of this the cost has been rising steadily for the last 5 years.  R-22 is still the best option for your current system, and we recommend only putting r-22 Freon® back in to your system.

Alternatives

There are several replacements for r-22, however none of them are exact replacements.  Some lose cooling capacity, others are several chemicals mixed and will leak out at a different rate causing further issues.  Other require an oil change inside the compressor to function properly.  All in all there is still nothing better for your system than the original refrigerant that it had.  When replacing an older r-22 system, remember that you will also need to replace the indoor ac coil.  This is due to the pressure requirements of the new refrigerant used r-410a.

Recovering r-22 from a unit.