New direct-import cold room vs used: the real 10-year maths

New ecofrost R29014 000 EUR

Used R404A20 460 EUR

Indicative calculation on 20 m³ chilled, maintenance and residual value included.

The used cold room market is tempting. A used 20 m³ at EUR 4,500 instead of EUR 10,000 new looks obvious. Not so fast. The real maths factors in four variables the adverts never mention. Here is the grid.

The headline price deceives

A used cold room carries four hidden costs:

1. Dismantling and transport: between EUR 800 and 2,500 depending on distance and size. At your expense in a private sale.
2. Refurbishment: replacing seals (EUR 200-400), deep clean (EUR 300-500), refrigeration check by an engineer (EUR 350-650) - total EUR 850 to 1,550 on average.
3. Refrigerant recharge: if R404A with a leak > 10% per year, recharge at EUR 180/kg × 2-4 kg = EUR 360-720 every year.
4. Component replacement: the residual life of a 10-year-old room means a 50% chance the compressor fails within 3 years (EUR 1,500-3,200 to repair).

Total hidden costs over 5 years: EUR 3,500 to 7,800 - i.e. the equivalent of the new-vs-used price gap.

The refrigerant trap

This is the most important point. A used room from before 2020 probably runs on R404A (GWP 3,922). This gas is being progressively banned:

• 2020: banned in new equipment
• 2025: strong recharge restrictions (EU quota cut by 35%)
• 2027: recovery restrictions
• 2030: near-total ban, mandatory withdrawal

Practical consequences:

• The recharge price of R404A rose from EUR 50/kg in 2018 to EUR 180/kg in 2025. It will probably reach EUR 300-400/kg by 2028.
• Refrigeration engineers increasingly refuse to recharge old R404A installations (liability, limited personal quota).
• On disposal, you will have to pay for gas recovery (EUR 200-400).

An R404A room bought used for EUR 4,500 in 2026 will be worth less than EUR 1,500 in 2030 - a rapidly depreciating asset.

Conversely, a new R290 room (GWP 3) is future-proof over 15-20 years.

Warranty and breakdowns

Criterion	New ecofrost	Used
Equipment warranty	2 years, transferable (CGGK)	None (rare professional exceptions)
Compressor warranty	2 years parts + labour	At your expense
Full refrigeration unit warranty	2 years	At your expense
Breakdowns to expect	5% chance within 3 years (under warranty)	50% chance within 3 years
Typical compressor-failure repair	Free under warranty	EUR 1,500-3,200
Spare-parts availability	15 years (OEM commitment)	Uncertain (obsolete model)

Compressor failure on a 10+ year-old used room is the costliest incident. It is what can turn a EUR 4,500 “bargain” into a total outlay of EUR 8,000-10,000 with 2-4 weeks of downtime.

10-year TCO calculation

Here is the real calculation for a 20 m³ positive room over 10 years:

Option 1: New ecofrost R290 room, EUR 10,000 ex VAT

• Purchase: EUR 10,000
• 2-year warranty (covered): EUR 0
• Annual preventive maintenance (engineer recommended from year 3): 8 × EUR 250 = EUR 2,000
• Electricity (200 kWh/month × EUR 0.20/kWh × 120 months): EUR 4,800
• Out-of-warranty breakdowns (years 5-10, sector statistics): EUR 1,200
• Residual value at year 10: ~EUR 4,000 (50% of new)
• Net 10-year TCO: EUR 14,000

Option 2: Used room, 5 years old, R404A, EUR 4,500 + transport EUR 1,200 + refurbishment EUR 1,200 = EUR 6,900 in hand

• Purchase + refurbishment: EUR 6,900
• Maintenance + R404A recharges (years 1-10): 10 × EUR 450 = EUR 4,500
• Major recharge in year 4 and year 7: 2 × EUR 720 = EUR 1,440
• Statistical breakdowns (50% chance in year 4 and year 8): 1 × EUR 2,200 = EUR 2,200
• Electricity (older R404A unit 15% less efficient): EUR 5,520
• R404A recovery and disposal at year 10: EUR 400
• Residual value at year 10: ~EUR 500
• Net 10-year TCO: EUR 20,460

Difference: new - used = - EUR 6,460 in favour of new, before even counting EU rural-development grants available on new equipment (which can add 20-40% of savings).

Used only makes sense in specific cases: a recent room (< 3 years), R290 or R134a, a professional seller giving a warranty, transport included, and a short-term need (< 3 years). Outside those cases, a new direct-import ecofrost room is mathematically the better choice.