I recently read an article in a local HVACR magazine that somewhat addressed this problem, which I guess we all should have foreseen coming because R22 is getting very scarce and its price is skyrocketing.
Has it come to this? Well,
not yet, but possibly soon! I recently read an article telling of how some
companies are marketing a hydrocarbon refrigerant to replace R-22 in air
conditioners, and they are marketing it to consumers, not HVACR supply
houses.