As of January 1, 2020, production and import of R22 refrigerant will be illegal in the United States. Of course, continued use of your air conditioner (AC) or heat pump system using R22 refrigerant is allowed.
In 2010, the U.S. stopped the sale of newly manufactured residential air conditioning units and heat pumps that use R-22 because of its particularly harmful impact on the ozone layer when released into the air. On January 1, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned the production and import of R-22.
The fact that R22 is typically used with home units is not relevant; it would work just fine in an automotive A/C system. However, R22 requires the use of barrier hoses, which older R12 cars may not have.
It's illegal to sell recovered R22. Once that refrigerant has been added to your AC it can then only be used on ACs that you own. What we do with it is recover the refrigerant from your system into a recovery cylinder and turn it into the supply house for it to be sent out and recycled.
The bill was then signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2022. As part of the bill, the sale of R-410a will be banned starting on January 1, 2030.
Refrigerant can only be sold to technicians certified under the Section 608 or Section 609 technician certification programs, where individuals may only purchase refrigerant consistent with the appliances covered by their certification.
R-22 (Chlorodifluoromethane), also known as R22 Freon or HCFC-22 Freon, was a common refrigerant for HVAC systems. It is now a banned refrigerant that is illegal to import or manufacture.
As of January 1, 2020, production and import of R22 refrigerant will be illegal in the United States. Of course, continued use of your air conditioner (AC) or heat pump system using R22 refrigerant is allowed.
R-22 refrigerant prices range from $90 to $250 per pound. Since you'll need between 6 and 12 pounds to refill a home AC, costs can reach between $660 and $2,400 for a refill of R-22 refrigerant.
Currently, one of these companies pays out: $15/lb for 97%+ pure R-22 (this number is very achievable) $11/lb for 90-97% pure R-22. $5/lb for 90%+ pure R410a (pro tip: there's about a pound of R410a gas left in every "empty" jug!)
As of Jan 1 2020, R22 refrigerant has been completely phased out worldwide due to its harmful effects on the ozone layer. It is no longer being produced. If you're interested in learning how to refill R22 in your air conditioner, it is important to know that this is not something a homeowner can do on their own.
Regulatory bodies don't have many laws regarding the application of CO2 gas, so homeowners won't have to worry about the legality of acquiring it. They'll be able to call up their local HVAC professional and have them recharge their AC unit with a safe gas.
An R-22 Refrigerant Replacement for Direct Expansion Refrigeration. Freon™ MO29 (R-422D) refrigerant is a low-toxicity, non-ozone depleting hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) replacement for R-22.
Why is R-22 refrigerant so expensive? R-22 refrigerant is so expensive because there's such a limited supply of it left. You see, R-22 is an “ozone-depleting substance” and is extremely harmful to the environment.
R-22 is a refrigerant that is often used in air- conditioning equipment. Because R-22 depletes the ozone layer, production and import was further limited in 2010. In 2020, R-22 will no longer be produced or imported. After 2020, only recovered, recycled, or reclaimed supplies of R-22 will be available.
Since R410A refrigerant is charged under higher pressure, charging an R22 system with it will increase the force within the coolant lines. The pressure can become high enough for parts of the system to rupture. At the very least, leaks will occur. Mixing refrigerants is not an option either.
R-22 Freon is not even available for purchase unless you're an EPA-licensed technician. So, you can't buy Freon from Home Depot for your HVAC needs. The good news is that you can still get it, though.
R22 refrigerant is illegal to import and manufacturer in the U.S. But it's not illegal for anyone to buy R22 freon. And it's not illegal to sell it IF you have a license. As long as the stocks last, you will be able to continue purchasing R22 from specialized dealers and form your air conditioning company.
How much will an R-22 to R-410A conversion cost? The actual cost will depend on many things, including where you live, but most of the time R-22 conversions start at around $2,000 and go up from there. The higher end of that range is somewhere around $4,500 to $4,600.
R22 was phased out from the EPA starting in 2020. Because of this ban, we highly recommend replacement on an upgraded system simply because of cost and availability on the banned refrigerant- The cost is getting higher and higher as the supply is diminishing.
Freon MO99 is the gold standard for R-22 alternatives and was developed by the same scientists who engineered Freon R-22. The benefits of Freon MO99 include: Capacity — The ability of Freon MO99 to heat or cool a given space is closer to Freon R-22 than any other refrigerant on the market.
Under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act, EPA prohibits individuals from knowingly venting refrigerants containing ozone-depleting refrigerants (including HCFC-22) as well as their substitutes (such as HFCs, including R-410A), while maintaining, servicing, repairing, or disposing of AC and refrigeration equipment.
R22 is not becoming “illegal,” per se. Stores that have products on their shelves that still use R22 will still be able to sell them. However, there will be no further production or distribution of R22 after the U.S.'s depletes its present stock of it.
Why Is R-134A Being Phased Out? When Is the Phaseout Expected to Conclude? Like a lot of '90s relics, R-134A has not aged well. It was known then that 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane could potentially contribute to acid rain and that its ozone layer depletion potential was high.