The turn of the new year signaled the most recent step of the R22 refrigerant phase-out in the United States.

As a reminder, here’s the timeline according to the EPA final rule:

• On January 1, 2018, R22 production dropped 30 percent from the 2017 supply to 9 million pounds
• On January 1, 2019, production will drop 55 percent from the 2018 supply to 4 million pounds
• On January 1, 2020, R22 will be phased out completely with no new or imported R22 allowed in the U.S.

Since the supply just dropped at the beginning of this year, that means R22 prices (and repair prices) are increasing yet again.

If your refrigeration system uses R22, or any other refrigerant with a high Global Warming Potential (GWP), you have some decisions to make — and the clock is ticking.