134a freon

my 30lb jug went MT today. got my last one 5yrs ago at sam's for $89. wonder where the best price is today and how much it has went up?
it never ceases to amaze me how much info is available on this site!

I think the last jug I bought was about a year and a half ago and at the time it ranged anywhere from $90 to $130. I doubt it's gone up a massiver amount since then but I'd still shop around before laying out any cash.

oh yea ,,it's gone up..mysterious refinery blew up . think 30 lb is close to 200 bucks now ,,... Get ready for R1234 $100 for 10 lbs is rumored cost,GM high end cars will have this new freon next year

Just bought a thirty pounder $230. Thats $130 more than last year.

We sell a lot of 125# 134A and the price seems to go up every week.

Yep, like I always say, that "massiver" amount will get you every time!

My mechanic friend just bought some alittle over $200. He tells me rumor has it, the price will double by mid summer.

I read a news release about it a few days ago. According to the article, the reason it's going up is because our government is slapping massive taxes on R134. It is being discontinued (for whatever reason they say. I.E. ozone hole, testicle cancer, etc.) and if they put a huge tax on it, it won't be smuggled like the old R-12 was. There is a new R1234 freon coming out and it will be super costly, just like the 134a was a lot higher than the old R-12.
My question is: Where does all this tax money revenue go?

My question is: Where does all this tax money revenue go?

Click to expand...

Windmills and ethanol.

From the April 2011 newsletter from Rock Auto:

"Owners of 1994 and newer cars, this is the time to fix your air conditioner. Not just because warm summer days are coming (hurray!) and RockAuto has AC compressors, condensers, evaporators, and other AC parts that we are eager to sell. Fix your AC because you will soon officially be joining the owners of 1993 and older cars in having environmentally unfriendly and expensive refrigerant under your hoods.

"In 1994, R-12 (branded as Freon) refrigerant was replaced with R-134a in new vehicle AC systems. R-12 had contributed to holes in the earth’s ozone layer. Production of new R-12 was banned in the United States and most other countries. The price of recycled R-12 skyrocketed. R-12 smuggling became as lucrative as drug smuggling. The last time I had an AC system charged, the R-12 cost $60 a pound.

"Now R-134a is on the chopping block because it has a “global warming potential” (GWP) of 1400. Carbon dioxide is the baseline with a GWP of 1. This means R-134a is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming 1400 times as much as an equal amount of CO2.

"Regulations now specify that refrigerants have a GWP of less than 150. New vehicles in Europe are required to have low GWP refrigerant starting this year. In the US, low GWP refrigerant will be phased in from 2013 to 2016 depending on the vehicle manufacturer.

"The preferred new refrigerant is something called R-1234yf. It has a GWP of only 4. It requires special lubricating oils and handling equipment. It is also slightly flammable. AC fittings will be changed to help prevent the mixing of R-1234yf with R-134a.

"This time around the production of the old refrigerant, R-134a, will not be banned. But R-134a will be federally taxed so its price is forced up from about $10 a pound to about $40 a pound, the expected price of R-1234yf. The tax is intended to further discourage people from attempting to use R-134a in one of the upcoming new cars designed to use R-1234yf.

This means refrigerant for the typical two pound R-134a AC charge will cost $80 instead of $20. That lost $60 might buy an AC O-ring set, an AC receiver drier or help pay for labor or other needed air conditioning parts. If your AC system needs work or frequent recharging, you will likely save some money by fixing it sooner rather than later."

...so at $10 a pound, that will make a 30-pounder $300. Whn it reaches $40 a pound, it'll be $1200.

I can remember the older systems with the R12 would actually need to be dialed down a bit even on the hottest days or it would freeze you out. The R134A systems will not do that, and are just barely adequate on a normal summer day and on a HOT day it's better than nothing but just barely. If that new R1234A stuff is even less efficient, I think I will just do without A/C.

Anyone want to lay a bet down that if we could track the people behind the companies makeing this "new improved" stuff it would lead back to the pockets of those directly responsible to makeing R134 go on the BAD list.

I was in Autozone for brake parts last night. A 12oz can of R134A refrigerant is $19.99, and there wasn't much of it on the shelf.

Makes me glad I stocked up a couple years ago. I really wish I'd bought all I could get my hands on... I'd be sitting in high cotton right now.