Cost of Freon Rising
By
Fanna Haile-Selassie
By
Randy Livingston
Story Created:
Jan 26, 2012 at 4:58 PM CST
Story Updated:
Jan 27, 2012 at 11:08 AM CST
CARTERVILLE -- It's getting more expensive to maintain older heating and air conditioning units. That's because the price for a common type of freon is rising dramatically. And it's likely to get worse. That common type of freon is called R-22. The federal government banned the substance because it's bad for the environment.
But many homeowners have not yet upgraded their air conditioners and heat pumps. So a case of supply and demand has R-22 prices skyrocketing.
"If you have a leak in the system or you have problems with that where freon has to be added, now your prices are going to go higher than what it was before," claims Lisa Gentz, a salesperson for RSP Heating and Cooling.
Prices this year have already jumped 30% to 40%, and Gentz says it's only going to get worse.
"The R-22 was fazed out by the federal government several years back, and we kind of expected that prices were going to start climbing. This year seems to be the year that they're going to take a pretty dramatic jump," Gentz explains.
R-22 is the old freon that was commonly used, but its ingredients can destroy the ozone layer, so it's being phased out by 2020. Manufacturers are now only producing heating and cooling systems with the new R-410A freon.
"I would say once, probably here in the next few years, whenever that phase out date becomes closer, it's going to be just like R-12 was when it phased out of vehicles. It's going to become very, very pricey," says Nathan Rhymer, an RSP service technician.
If you've bought a new heating or cooling system in the last four to five years, it's likely the system is already using the new freon. But Gentz says it's only a matter of time before an old system will need some maintenance.
"Leaks have a tendency to not heal themselves. They're just going to get worse," explains Gentz. "And so, it's really going to make people have to take a second thought on am I going to repair this and keep dumping money into it, or should I replace it."
Gentz says a new unit will be more energy efficient, likely saving you money in the long run.
R-22 is about $35 a pound right now. The new freon, R-410A, will set you back about $45 a pound. But Gentz says it won't take long before R-22 costs more. She also says R-410A might come down a little more in price than it already has, but probably not much more. Gentz says if you buy a new system, it should not require adding freon.
