By now we’re all familiar with the term, fake news, which has been used to describe everything from factual information that a political figure simply may not like to questionable reporting that plays fast and loose with the truth. I would posit that much of the information being published about the R-22 phaseout in local newspapers falls directly into the fake news category. Indeed, I have been astounded by the sheer number of articles that I’ve seen from around the country that contain exaggerations and misinformation (okay, lies) about the phaseout.
Just to get the facts straight, as of January 1, 2020, it will no longer be legal to produce or import virgin R-22 in the U.S., but that does not mean the refrigerant will be unavailable, unaffordable, or illegal to use. It just means that after that date, contractors who service R-22 systems will have to rely on existing stocks of virgin refrigerant or else use reclaimed refrigerant, both of which should be readily available (and affordable) for a long time, according to industry experts.