R22 has been phased out in favor of more environmentally friendly refrigerant types such as R134a, R-1234yf, R-152a, and R-744. Since 1995 no new R22 refrigerant can be imported or created under the Montreal Protocol.
R22 refrigerant can still be bought since it can be recycled from existing sources.
When an HVAC service technician turns in bottles of old R22 taken from an old system, it is recycled by cleaning and filtering, making them ready for reuse.
Since the R22 supply has been dwindling since 1995, the prices match this and have been going up. The restrictions on R22 don’t mean supplies are going to run out, but the prices will continue to go up.
So Where Do You Buy R22 Refrigerant?
R22 can be bought at HVAC supply stores, HVAC service companies, and online.
Personally, I would never buy from an HVAC repair company since they always mark up the prices. HVAC supply companies also mark up prices but less so.
To get the best prices buying online is hands down the best option. To give an example, I live in a rural area where the closest HVAC supply store is 60 miles away. This can be a real pain when you need parts or refrigerant. I can order the refrigerant from an HVAC supplier, which they will deliver, but the cost goes up. If I drive to the supplier, it is $40 dollars a pound, and if it is delivered, it is $60 a pound.
That means a standard 30-pound bottle at my local HVAC supply store costs $1200-$1800.
Of course, to buy R22, an EPA certification card will be needed (or a letter of intent to resale, whatever that means), but this isn’t as hard as it seems. There are four types of certification
Type I, Type II, Type III, and universal. The different levels of certification show what type of HVAC units someone can work on.
Type II, and Type III require a test to be proctored, meaning someone checks your ID, watches you, and makes sure it is you taking the test.
Type I EPA certification does not require a test to be proctored and can be taken online, open book, which will allow anyone to buy refrigerant.
You will technically only be able to work on units that hold up to 5 pounds of refrigerant, but you will be able to buy refrigerant.
You can get certified online for the Type I EPA exam at Mainstream Engineering. After you get certified, you will be able to buy any type of refrigerant.
If in the future you need the type II or type III certification, then be sure to find a Mainstream Engineering testing location, so you don’t have to retake the Type I exam again.
If you only need a few pounds of R22 refrigerant, then having a service tech do it for you will make the most sense, but if you have rentals or multiple homes that use R22, buying your own refrigerant is a great way to save money.
I’ve been trying to buy R22 on eBay recently, but it’s gotten pretty difficult, unfortunately. It seems that eBay is now inconsistently enforcing an unofficial ban on R22. Listings for R22 on eBay are few are far between and keep disappearing.
I’ve seen a few recent auctions for R22 go to completion, but most of the ones I’ve watched or bid on have been inexplicably removed before they ended. I’ve heard from sellers that eBay is removing the listings because R22 is no longer allowed to be sold on eBay. If you look on eBay’s hazardous materials policy page, they now list HFCs as not allowed. That would include R410A but not R22. I don’t know if eBay employees tasked with enforcing the policy are mistaking R22 for an HFC or what. It’s strange eBay would ban HFCs and not CFCs and HCFCs considering HFCs were supposed to save the world from CFCs and HCFCs.
Whatever the case is, I think the days of buying R22 (and probably R410A and maybe even refrigerants in general) on eBay are probably ending. Amazon was a good alternative to eBay for refrigerants until they banned all refrigerants years ago. The only online sources left that I know of besides sketchy places like Craigslist and OfferUp are refrigerant merchants like Ability Refrigerants that want upwards of $40 a pound for R22.
Do you know of any remaining online sources of R22 at prices similar to eBay’s?
Thanks for the info. I bought refrigerant on eBay in the past, and now I see they removed many listings. There are dedicated websites that sell R22 and R410a. Have you used these?
I’ve checked at a bunch of dedicated online refrigerant sellers. Of those merchants, Ability Refrigerants currently has the best price at $1,289 for 30 lb with shipping that I’ve found. That’s a bit less than HVAC supply houses in my area but still nearly double the lowest prices I’ve seen it sell for on eBay recently.
I’m considering switching to an R22 substitute like R407C, but even the substitutes have gotten expensive.
Even R410A is expensive now with the tariffs and phaseout. I’d hate to buy a new R410A system now knowing that I’ll be going through this same mess with it in a few years. The industry still hasn’t settled on a replacement for R410A. The leading candidates, R32 and R454B, are both A2L refrigerants with very little availability in the U.S. currently.
A surprising number of people in my area are replacing their central air conditioning systems with window units because they can’t afford to keep topping off their leaky systems or a new R410A system. The EPA has really put people in a pickle.
I need r22 where can I purchase it and is there any Staten island repairman that can provide the service
I have listings of r-22 up on an app called Mercari. $900 for 30lbs. I used to sell on Bay but had to transition to a new site due to the ban.
Where can I find our 22 Freon or a replacement for my air conditioner? Any thoughts would help thank you.
You can only buy a jug if you have type 2 or universal. You can not buy a jug with type 1 or 3
That is not correct.
608 Type 1 can purchase any size and all types refrigerant. I know this to be true because I have 608 type 1 and buy all types freon and various sizes from several national distributors depending on who has best price.
The wording from epa was confusing about the size of containers. They were attempting to prevent automotive 609 certified techs from being able to purchase drums that 608 stationary techs would use. The wording was cleared up by epa in 2020.
Just got my Type 1 certification from the Mainstream Engineering. According to tests, you can buy up to 20lb of R22 with Type 1. Ebay has many listings for R22 in many sizes.
Cheers
Can an epa type 1 permit allow me to purchase r22 and other refrigerants to use in home ac units.
Okay but try charging your unit properly and to the correct specs without the knowledge or tools to do so. Honestly just leave it to the people who know what theyre doing.
Why would they not know what they are doing? It’s not rocket science.