My apt in the fan has an alley behind it that scavengers hit every Saturday. They scoop up anything of any remote value. Perhaps you can sit it near the trash and it will get scavenged

You can take it to the East Richmond Road Public Use Area to safely dispose of it. They charge $15 to help cover the cost of recovering the refrigerant so that it isn't just vented into the atmosphere where it can deplete the ozone or contribute to global warming. The counties offer similar service as well.

Don’t know why you got downvoted, it’s absolutely true. And they’ll transport it to the scrapyard for you.

Who owns the unit?

Beyond the, “That’s what she said!”…. If you don’t own the A/C unit, you could be in for a big bill.

It’s mine

Would be interested in picking it up to tinker with.

You’re supposed to just throw them in the river I think

Probably downvoted because scavengers will release the ozone-depleting r22 prior to scrapping. Legitimate places that properly recover the refrigerant charge a fee to take the appliance.

I wonder if Rage RVA would take it, if they made sure to get and dispose of the refrigerant properly.

Most likely downvoted because that seems to be a regular thing in the fan. If you have no use for something and are too lazy to dispose of it properly, just put in the alley/out on the sidewalk and hope someone else takes care of your problem for you.

I'd put it on Facebook Marketplace for free as scrap. Someone will take it

I mean the city does bulk pick up every two weeks and tells you flat out you can leave bulky items out for that specifically. Doesn't include appliances, auto parts, or construction material though.

I would have figured all of the old r22 units and ones that use the other ozone depleting gases have failed and been a thing of the past by now. Unfortunately alot of scrappers do release the refrigerants into the atmosphere...I used to wonder why on earth a manufacturer would use a highly flammable refrigerant in some newer products...now I think they are trying to blow up people that cut the line and release it in the air...lol just one spark and it would be a pretty healthy and hot fireball or flame thrower if it's still venting...if I remember correctly r410 might be something like ISO butane? I'm probably not remember right...

I was wrong...it's r600a that is isobutane...it's a replacement for r12 and r134 and favored because of it's low global warming potential according to some website after 2 minutes of googling. Sounds correct to me though. Edit. I just read that it is the preferred choice for domestic refrigerators worldwide...It's used by most major OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) in domestic refrigeration applications. Am I the only one worried about having a relatively large amount of isobutane in my kitchen? I know if it leaks enough it would only take one spark from something in most kitchens...light switches, relays, or the pilot light if you have a gas stove...heck alot of older homes I've worked on in Richmond had gas water heaters in the kitchen itself or in a pantry...

My boyfriend is a manager at Best Buy, they have a recycle bin specifically for old/ broken electronics. Just tell an associate when you get there :)

R22 was installed in new systems as late as 2010. If the life of a unit on average is 15 years, with some lasting longer, it’s safe to assume there are still plenty out there kicking. Even R-410A, the most common today, it isn’t great for the ozone. It is banned effective Jan 1 2025.

That’s what it said in my Welcome to Richmond packet that they handed to me the day I arrived.

…or maybe they said scooters….