Many 30 pound tanks start at $330. Lots of variation but one add states $198 for VIRGIN R22.

1. So is some foreign country allowed to produce R22 instead of selling reclaimed R22 and ship it to the USA?

2, At that price is this the same quality? Seems way too good to be true.

Edit:
Starting January 1, 2020, it will no longer be legal to import or produce R-22 in Canada or the United States. The only remaining source of R-22 will be that which is recycled, reclaimed or recovered from existing units.

So this is a bogus internet advertisement for VIRGIN R22 and something is going on. Going to pay > $350 and hope that stuff is legit. I hate guessing. Prices for this stuff is all over the board. You can pay $350 for ten pounds. SMH

I've seen those sites and low prices, too.

I could use a 30lb of R-22, but I've noticed most of the pics of the cylinders are 'generic' branded, and it gives me pause.

I'd rather it have a manufacturer's name on it, although I've got a cylinder of R-22 I bought many years ago and it has generic markings too. Apparently, some companies buy R-22 in bulk and use generic packaging.

OTOH, Facebook Marketplace has quite a bit of R-22 for sale, and most of it is the Quimobasicos brand, which I believe is Honeywell Mexico.

I imagine they bring it up from Mexico, where you can still buy the stuff at Home Depot there for about $150/30lb, IIRC.

None of those Facebook sellers are in my town, though, and I'm too lazy to make a 200-mile round trip just to get it right now.

If you do buy some, let us know how it goes. You can put your gauge on the tank and check to make sure the pressure is what it should be for R-22 at that temperature, but that doesn't mean they haven't put something with it.

Good luck.

One more thing -- 'virgin' R-22 was stockpiled in the U.S. so there are legit U.S. sources for it. And, in Mexico the manufacture isn't discontinued until 2030, I believe.

5 years ago my AC wasn't cooling. R22 system built in 2004. At that time a HVAC company said they would charge me $100 a pound plus service fees. It would by the way need about 10 pounds.

A TexAgs poster suggested I get an EPA license to buy R22. I spent $29.95 and 5 hours studying and taking an online course and got my lifetime license. It wasn't an easy test by the way. My Aggie undergrad was ME and I found thermo fascinating. So I spent $108 and bought a 10 pound tank. $10.80 a pound. It took 9.2 pounds and it worked like a charm. Spent $80 on hoses and a gauge, but how long would the fix last?

3 years 9 months. Unbelievable

Now for the last 15 months I've installed 3 cheap window units but I'm ready to try some stop leak chemicals first and if I buy a 30 pound tank I'll have 3 attempts if it leaks fast. I think I'll take a chance and spend $359 for a 30 pound tank. I might try the ultraviolet leak detector too but now would be a good time to replace the compressor before I charge it. I have a mech eng degree but I might be biting off more than I can chew trying to replace the compressor but that compressor used to get really loud. I would laugh think it would give out any hour but it pounded loud for months. Don't know or remember if it did give out but anyway it's going to be a big project for me. I just don't have the practical experience in spades.

I don't know how far into this you want to get (or if you have the time), but if you don't mind spending a little under a grand for some A/C tools (nitrogen tank & A/C purge/pressure test regulator, a vacuum pump, a couple of vacuum rated valve stem tools, a MappPro Turbo torch, some StayBrite 8 solder, and a few sundries), you can tackle your own compressor and/or evaporator coil changeouts.

Having the nitrogen tank and regulator is a great way to find leaks, too, although an electronic leak detector is another tool to add to those I mentioned above.

I use to think you had to oxy/acet braze all those A/C tubing connections. I was wrong. I switched to StayBrite 8 solder a while ago and never looked back. One small (ish) torch and a small canister of MappPro beats lugging a couple of heavy tanks around. It's easier too, and even though you'll have nitrogen available, you don't have to flow it while you solder, unlike when you braze.

And when I say 'solder', StayBrite 8 is what I mean. It's not cheap due to it's high silver content. This is not plumber's silver solder.

Good luck. Evaporator coils seem to be the source of most leaks. Ten years and they're shot, many times. And always change your filter/dryer when you change out a compressor and/or evaporator.

Thanks. I watch DYI videos last night and remembered to change the dryer. I just hope they have a easy comparable if not exact model of compressor since the compressor was put in in 2024.