As of January 1, 2020, the EPA made it illegal to import or manufacture the common refrigerant Freon, also known as R-22, in the U.S. — a major problem for facilities still using it. Many of those facilities have resorted to obtaining R-22 through recovered or recycled supplies. As that stockpile dwindles, however, the cost of the increasingly scarce synthetic refrigerant is growing exponentially. Facilities still using Freon are facing a predicament: switch to an alternative now or continue paying high prices until they no longer have a choice. Let’s explore why going through the conversion may be less daunting than many facility owners and managers think.

As a temporary solution, some facilities have opted for synthetic blend alternatives, including those using R-134a or R-410a as a base. But it’s likely a matter of time before those synthetic options are phased out as well, forcing those facilities to convert again.