Every ounce of refrigerant you leave behind is money you bought and threw in the trash.
Most HVAC and home services companies have no idea how much refrigerant they're actually losing, what it's costing them, or that the EPA already has the authority to come after them for it. Not someday. Now.
Sam sits down with Les Rhynard and Adam Dykstra, co-founders of FM Hero and the former founders of Rapid Recovery, the world's largest refrigerant recovery company. These guys have been in the trenches of refrigerant management since the mid-90s, and what they're seeing coming in 2029 should have every contractor paying close attention.
Key Teaching Points:
The regulatory burden is real, and "who" is you. Every person who touches refrigerant, from the technician to the contractor to the equipment owner, carries individual liability. The EPA clarified this in 2018-2019 and they've been enforcing it since.
The Kroger case set the precedent. One hundred two and a half million dollars. Most of that wasn't fines; it was forced equipment upgrades. The fine per day per violation is calculated at $124,000. Even if you never see a number that big, losing your certification is on the table too.
The heel in a disposable cylinder is not nothing. On average, nearly a pound of refrigerant stays in every can that gets thrown out. At current market pricing of $2.00 to $3.50 per pound retail, two pounds per cylinder adds up fast across a fleet of technicians.
Paper logs never worked and never will. FM Hero built a mobile app around how technicians actually work, not around what compliance officers wished they would do. Scan the unit, tap through the workflow, done in about a minute. The app is free for technicians.
2029 is not a drill. The volume of 410A available to the market gets cut in half. The US recovery-to-reclaim rate is 3%. Japan runs 44%. There are currently zero SNAP-approved drop-in replacements for 410A. The only supply source is recovered refrigerant from the units already in the field.
The opportunity for contractors: go into a commercial building, show the equipment owner what they don't know about their compliance burden, offer to manage it for them, and lock in the service agreement. Compliance becomes a profit center, not a cost.
Every ounce counts.
Download FM Hero at fmhero.com or search FM Hero in the Apple App Store or Google Play. Free compliance guides are also available at fmhero.com, no email required.
Work with Sam:
Website: https://www.closeitnow.net
Coaching and training: https://www.closeitnow.net/coaching
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/closeitnow
Email: [email protected]
Summer Sales Surge 2026:
Four-series live virtual training, July through October. Full bundle $1,497.
hvacsalesjumpstart.com/complete-1497
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Google to help more contractors and salespeople find this show.
Google Review Link: https://g.page/r/CbfnnDqTCwQdEAE/review
