How much does R22 refrigerant cost to replace The contractor blames it on stuck value that was suppose to hold the gas in the handler until the repair was completed. Alledgely 5 pounds released.?

Right now (11/2008) R-22 is costing upwards of $30.00 a pound wholesale. Some contractors charge $60-75 per pound to charge a system. A typical system might hold 9 pounds. The contractor could be subject to hefty fines for letting the refrigerant escape. Any amount, even just a fraction of an ounce, that is released into the atmosphere is considered an illegal discharge. He should have pumped the system of all freon before opening the system to prevent such a discharge. 5/2009 R-22 may well end up being $30.00 a pound wholesale (with the epa phasing out looming), but as of now it is not even near that price. A customer can expect a retail cost between $25 - $50 / pd depending on whether this is a primary or secondary repair. Most repairs will not simply be adding freon as this is just a symptom of a larger problem. A reputable contractor will offer solutions to fix the system not just get it going for repeat service calls.