I hear getting your own Freon or equivalent can be lots more affordable than the rates charged for replacement/ servicing.
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Still working fine.
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Generally speaking, DIY is always cheaper than paying a professional. But in this case, it might not be. There would be significant outlay for the equipment needed to add refrigerant to your own A/C. And since you wouldnât be buying refrigerant in bulk, the savings arenât that significant.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/193104375934?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=jvm-UMQnSlu&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
That tank is $50/lb, but you have to buy 5 lbs. My most recent service on a 10 year old system, I needed 2 lbs added and the HVAC guy charged me $250 for those 2lbs of refrigerant and $80 for labor. I could have bought that tank and had 3 lbs left for my next service. But I would still have to buy all the equipment. It only makes sense if you plan on servicing your system yourself several times. And when you get to the point that youâre doing that, you probably need a new system installed by a professional.
Not to mention the fact that you have to buy this stuff on ebay because you have to be licensed/certified in order to buy R410a.
Call around for quotes next time. Last time I thought I needed a refill (over a year ago) I got quotes between $40 and $120 per lb (plus labor), IIRC. Itâs ridiculous and should probably be illegal.
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It sounds like youâre firmly against DIY on the A/C for a variety of decent reasons. If you change your mind, Harbor Freight has/had a decent set of gauges at a not outrageous price.
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I looked into this a bit this year and in past years. I am a bit intimidated by it but I think it is doable. I may bite the bullet if we put off replacement.
FYI, I paid $95/lb this year. It varies as scripta said. I paid less this year than last year due to this company being more reasonable. Other companies tell you it is rare, etc which is somewhat true but salted with BS. 
P.S. You can buy it off ebay in oz and lb cans.
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I wasnât proposing replacing the fluid yourself, but just that if you had it on hand, having purchased it cheaply, you could have a serviceman use yours and just charge you for the labor and not the hugely marked up coolant.
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I assume a lot of servicemen will not be willing to do this. They want the margin on the freon, and if theyâre going to be responsible for a repair they wonât use materials they didnât source themselves.
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Bingo. Iâve known mechanics that say the same thing about parts brought in by customers. I would assume it is like this across all repair industries. If you arenât willing to do the work yourself, your stuck paying for their parts & labor.
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Except tires, (if you equate mounting/balancing) with repair. Thatâs why Tirerack has been successful.
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Losing refrigerant is the beginning of the end, right? That means it has a slow leak somewhere.
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Yep. Apparently, leaks can be found and fixed. System is 24 years old so not worth it.
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