You may have to pay a lot more for A/C in the new year

For years, the EPA has said a certain kind of freon, R-22, is bad for the environment.

So, over the last decade the country’s been phasing it out, building up to this point. Starting in 2020, companies won’t be allowed to make or import R-22 anymore.

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Companies knew about this, so in 2010 they stopped making A/C units that use R-22.

But a lot of people still own units older than that, ones that still use R-22.

You only have to add R-22 if you have a leak. In that case, you probably need anywhere from 1 to 3 pounds. That used to go for about $100 per pound. Now it’s $150 to $275 and it’s going to get harder to find and more expensive.

“You’ll still be able to purchase it, you’ll still be able to get your unit filled up if that’s what you need to do, but the price is, obviously, going to continue to rise with the supply,” Seth Davis said. He’s with One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning.

If you have older units, you may end up having to get new ones sooner than planned, which can cost thousands of dollars.

This doesn’t impact your car. They use a different refrigerant.