About The Refrigerant Index

I'm Richard Bellamy. I've spent more than ten years in HVAC sales, based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A lot of that time has gone into answering the same question from contractors, counter staff, property managers and homeowners: "What should refrigerant cost right now?"

The answer moves around more than it used to — the AIM Act phasedown, the switch to A2L refrigerants like R-454B and R-32, and the long tail of R-22 have all made prices harder to follow. I couldn't find one simple, neutral place that showed the numbers and where they came from, so I started this.

The Refrigerant Index is a weekly snapshot, not a crystal ball. I don't claim to know where prices are headed. I write down what's listed, what reclaim programs say they pay, and what published guides report contractors charge — and I link every number so you can check it yourself. If I get something wrong, tell me and I'll fix it.

— Richard

Methodology

Prices are publicly listed single-cylinder prices (not pallet or bulk) captured from each seller's own product page on the date shown. Out-of-stock listings and pallet-only listings are excluded. Price per lb = listed cylinder price / cylinder net weight. Shipping, tax, hazmat fees and cylinder deposits are not included unless the listing says so. We do not vet sellers; listing here is not an endorsement. If a price could not be confirmed on the seller's page, it is left out.

• Median $/lb is the median of (listed cylinder price ÷ cylinder net weight) across included listings for that refrigerant.
• Buyback rates are only shown when the program publishes them. Programs that quote case-by-case are listed as "quote only".
• Contractor ranges come from published cost guides and contractors' own posted price lists, with dates. Forum posts (e.g. Reddit) are linked for color but not used in the numbers unless we can read and verify them.
• Excluded this week:
  • Freonwell 25 lb R-410A ($175 sale price) — Listed as sold out on 2026-10-19.
  • Alper Refrigerants R-32 25 lb ($145–$165/cyl) — Pallet-only (40 cylinders) pricing; not a single-cylinder price.
  • Royal Refrigerants R-454B 20 lb — Could not confirm price on the live page this week.
  • Home Depot / Amazon / Ferguson / Johnstone / SupplyHouse listings — Prices not visible without login, blocked automated access, or listing discontinued. Not included until a public price can be confirmed.
  • Chadwell Supply R-454B 20 lb — Price not shown publicly.
• Sponsors never see or change the data before publication. Sponsored content is always labeled.

From the forums (not used in the numbers)

Reddit threads where techs and homeowners discuss per-lb charges. Reddit blocked our automated access this week, so we could not read and verify the numbers in these threads; none of them are used in the index or the quote checker. Read them yourself for local color.

• What are y'all charging customers for refrigerant? — r/HVAC
• What is everyone charging for R22 — r/HVAC
• Refrigerant Charge R-410 (per pound) — r/hvacadvice
• Is r454 b refrigerant really $300/lb? — r/hvacadvice
• $2000 USD for 10lbs of refrigerant? — r/hvacadvice