Air Condition Coolant Being Phased Out, Prices Triple

NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - If the air conditioning unit at your home was manufactured before 2010 expect a common summer repair to cost up to triple the usual amount.

There is now a new, environmentally friendly, version of Freon — the coolant gas used in a/c units. With the development of the new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-backed product, the old Freon, R-22, is being phased out.

Air conditioning professionals say with the elimination of R-22 consumers can expect repair costs to increase substantially.

“The refrigerant’s definitely gonna, it has tripled in cost so obviously that cost has be passed on to the consumer,” said Randy Kelly, with One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning. “So, if someone has a refrigerant leak and it has to have R-22 put back in it, it’s really gonna make that repair cost more.”

According to Kelly, the price for a pound of R-22 has jumped from around $20 a pound to up to $90.

Refilling air conditioners with Freon is anything but unusual and is often done annually, as opposed to undergoing expensive mechanical repairs.

“Air conditioners do develop leaks, over a period of time, and it is a common repair,” said Kelly. “There are no telling how many units out there that have leaks that people just a pound, or two pounds, in every year.”

Kelly suggests that homeowners with a serious problem either fix the leak immediately or replace the unit.

The EPA is now requiring air conditioning manufacturers to use Freon R-410A in their units, which is a cleaner gas.