Quick one again. Prices, what moved, one rule, one tip. Every number links to its source on therefrigerantindex.com.
This week's prices (online single-cylinder list prices)
- R-410A (25 lb): median $8.94/lb, range $7.00–$11.16/lb, $175–$279 per cylinder, 6 listings
- R-454B (20 lb): median $23.75/lb, range $20.45–$25.00/lb, $409–$500 per cylinder, 7 listings
- R-32 (20 lb): median $11.70/lb, range $9.95–$22.45/lb, $199–$449 per cylinder, 6 listings
- R-22 (30 lb): median $13.30/lb, range $9.30–$30.00/lb, $279–$900 per cylinder, 6 listings
- R-134a (30 lb): median $10.97/lb, range $9.97–$13.17/lb, $299–$395 per cylinder, 5 listings
- R-404A (24 lb): median $12.46/lb, range $9.96–$17.71/lb, $239–$425 per cylinder, 5 listings
Prices before shipping, tax and deposits.
What moved
- Nobody changed a price. I rechecked all 23 listings from last week. Every one is at the same price it was on Oct 26.
- We added 12 listings from Imperial Refrigerants, Ability Refrigerants and Refrigerant Depot (all sellers already on the list, just more of their gases). That's the only reason the medians moved: R-22 went from $10.98 to $13.30/lb, R-32 from $9.95 to $11.70, R-404A from $11.44 to $12.46, R-134a from $10.48 to $10.97, and R-410A from $8.68 to $8.94.
- We dropped OTP HVAC's R-454B ($500). Their page now says it's an in-store price at their Dallas counter, not an online order. R-454B median went from $23.99 to $23.75/lb.
- R-22 is all over the place. $279 for a reclaimed 30 lb at PES Supply, $310 at Delta, $599 at Imperial, $900 at Refrigerant Depot. Same gas.
The quick read: Flat week on price. R-454B is still about 2.7x R-410A per pound.
One rule to watch
The leak-repair rollback is still at the White House. Last week I mentioned EPA sent OMB a final rule that would exempt road and intermodal transport refrigeration units (TRUs) from the HFC leak-repair requirements. As of this morning it's still listed as pending review (received Oct 14), and nothing has been published in the Federal Register yet. Still nothing changing for stationary AC and refrigeration.
Source: OMB/OIRA pending review, RIN 2060-AX04
Tip: read the whole listing before you compare
Before you line up two cylinder prices, check three things on the page:
- Virgin or reclaimed. The cheapest R-22 on our list is reclaimed (AHRI-700). Nothing wrong with that, but know which one you're pricing.
- Is it a "sale" price. A bunch of this week's listings show a crossed-out "was" price. Sales end, so don't build a quote around one.
- Which page you're on. Refrigerants Center has two 30 lb R-22 pages, one at $349 and one at $899. Same seller.
Property managers: if a building is still on R-22, there's a $279–$900 spread on a 30 lb cylinder online right now. Ask your contractor what they're paying for the gas and whether it's virgin or reclaimed.
The Refrigerant Index is independent. Listing a seller isn't an endorsement, and sponsors never touch the numbers. Not legal or technical advice. — Richard
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