The State of HVAC/R Chaos
From refrigerant regulations, to supply shortages, to rising labor costs, today’s HVAC/R contractors and facility managers are navigating a business environment that’s more complicated — and less forgiving — than ever. Compliance mistakes can trigger fines big enough to ruin your year (or even your career), inefficiencies eat away at margins, and outdated processes leave everyone chasing paperwork like it’s still 1995. The contractors who win in this climate? They’re the ones who embrace smarter systems, stronger accountability, and faster access to information — and keep a sense of humor while doing it.
Meet the Expert
Adam Dykstra, FMHero Co-Founder
To get real about the state of refrigerant regulations: Adam Dykstra, co-founder of FMHero (2020) and one of the original founders of Rapid Recovery (2002-2019), which he led to grow into the nation’s largest refrigerant recovery company and ultimately to a global player. Adam’s spent decades in the trenches with technicians, contractors and facility managers, wrestling with compliance headaches, lost gas, and the joy of “surprise” EPA audits. He also co-hosts Chill Under Pressure, a podcast that mixes HVAC/R industry insiders and outcasts with a little comic relief.
In this Ask the Expert, Adam takes on some of the biggest myths and frustrations surrounding refrigerant regulations — rolling back the confusion (pun intended), busting a few myths, and serving up practical advice with a side of sarcasm.
Ask the Expert
Refrigerant Real Talk
Q: It feels like new rules keep popping up, while others are being rolled back. So… what’s actually real?
“Walmart strategy takes regulations by storm!” Yeah, rollbacks make for good headlines, but here’s the deal: some refrigerant rules are written into law and not going anywhere unless Congress votes against themselves (and let’s just say they don’t often agree on lunch, let alone refrigerants, but they almost always agree with themselves).
So no, we’re not going back to the “good old days” of R-22, R-12, R-502, and R-11 — unless your idea of “good” is leaky systems and ozone holes. Even R-410A is a goner long-term. The import and manufacturing ban is permanent because it came straight from the AIM Act, not from some shadowy EPA back room. Equipment manufacturing rules? Those might shake out differently, but the big picture is clear: we’re not rewinding the clock.
The real takeaway: documentation is forever. Venting is illegal. Refrigerant is still expensive. And no politician is rolling back gravity.
Q: So who’s actually responsible for documentation?
You. Yep, you. Thanks for playing — interview over.
Alright, seriously. Here’s how it breaks down:
- Technicians: They have to document refrigerant activity. Skip it, and goodbye certification — hello career change.
- Contractors: You’ve got to keep those records. Expect questions like, “You bought 5,000 pounds of refrigerant last year — where is it now?” If your answer is “uhhh… in some units, somewhere,” prepare to write a very large check.
- Equipment owners: For larger systems, they’ve also got recordkeeping requirements, usually fed by the contractor’s reports which are based on the technician’s field documents.
Long story short? If you touch refrigerant or own bigger equipment, the who is you.
Q: Are there any refrigerants I can actually vent without breaking the law?
Yes! R-744 (CO₂), R-728 (Nitrogen), and R-718 (Water). Not exactly the rebel badge of honor techs are hoping for. But hey, at least you can blow off some nitrogen without the EPA showing up with handcuffs.
Q: I’ve never heard of anyone being fined. Isn’t this all bark, no bite?
You’re not wrong — enforcement cases are rare, and the EPA is terrible at PR. But when they do swing the hammer, it hurts. And they’ve knocked the teeth out of contractors, wholesalers, reclaimers, scrappers, importers and manufacturers – so pretty much every part of the HVAC/R ecosystem has folks who look like they play hockey without a helmet.
Besides, if your entire compliance strategy is “no one’s watching, so who cares,” you’re basically burning Benjamins. Refrigerant isn’t cheap — even back when it seemed cheap, it was still pricier than a tracking solution. Do the math: tracking gas saves money. Waiting to get fined just drains it.
Q: My techs won’t even turn in receipts. How am I supposed to get them to do more paperwork?
This one comes up all the time. Threats don’t work. “Fire ‘em all” isn’t an option. And dangling EPA fines in front of them won’t magically change behavior.
The trick? Flip the script. Instead of “paperwork,” make it personal:
- They’ll see their entire work history — every unit, every site, every system they’ve touched.
- Easy personal metrics like how many installs and services they knocked out last year.
- They’ll have data they can use to compete (friendly bragging rights are powerful).
- And — bonus — an app can make it easy. If it’s harder than ordering lunch on DoorDash, forget it.
Good documentation shouldn’t feel like a punishment. Done right, it’s actually pretty cool.
Q: So what does “good” documentation actually look like?
Good documentation is like good ductwork: airtight, reliable, and not a total pain to deal with. It’s got to be correct, complete, and easy — otherwise, it won’t happen.
That means capturing every movement of every ounce of refrigerant: from purchase, to charge, to service, to recovery, and finally reclaim. Sounds awful if you’re still on paper logs. But in the digital world? Way easier.
Tools like FMHero streamline the whole thing with AI-driven nameplate scans, cylinder serial number scanning and tracking, barcode integration, and real-time syncing between techs and the office. No duplicate typoing, no lost paperwork, no guesswork. Just a clean, complete chain of custody — a Single Source of Truth — the kind of record that protects both your license and your margins.
And when users ask for something easier? FMHero builds it in. Because if compliance isn’t easy, it won’t happen.
Closing Thoughts
Track It. Control It. Profit.
Regulations aren’t going away — but neither is the opportunity to get ahead. Contractors who make documentation simple and reliable today will avoid fines, save money, and gain an edge tomorrow. As the FMHero team likes to say: “Track it. Control it. Profit.”