Is freon the same as R-22 and what is the price per pound for freon?

Answer 1

Freon is a brand name now commonly used in the industry for most refrigerants (as the brand Kleenex is commonly used for all facial tissues). R-22 is a blend that is scheduled to be obsolete in 2020. Manufacturers may not produce R-22 air conditioners and heat pumps after January 1, 2010.

A 30 pound tank of R-22 is about $375 or $12.50 per pound as of 05-2014. This is actually about $1 less than R-410a, yet service companies will charge as much as $70 per pound to the consumer. Freons require special certifications to purchase which are costly to obtain thru classes & federal EPA monitoring and testing plus the old freon must be reclaimed and recycled or destroyed by special collection processes and expensive equipment, all which is figured into the consumers final cost per pound. So There is reason for this other than to encourage the consumer to purchase a new system.

The most common new refrigerant being used in new systems is R-410A and is commonly referred to by the brand name Puron. R-410A is NOT a retrofit replacement for R-22 in existing systems as it requires higher system pressures.

Currently, the best retrofit replacements for R-22 are R-421A and R-422B (trade name NU22B). These may be substituted for R-22 after a complete system evac and filter change with no oil change required. Another excellent retrofit is R-427A which was designed exclusively for retrofit use, however it does require an oil change.