AC Repair – Freon ® R22

Our most common ac repair would have to be a low on Freon call.  When your ac system becomes low on Freon ® (refrigerant) several things are likely to occur.  The first is limited or no cooling, you could also notice that your copper line leading to the furnace could be iced up.  This usually makes no or very little air flow into your home (because the air cannot pass through the ice that has formed).  If you have any of these symptoms there is a very good chance that your ac repair is a refrigerant issue.  If this is the case the best course of action for your ac repair is to locate the spot where it leaked out and repair it.  Do this before adding more refrigerant to the system.

Leak Search

There are several ways to locate the leak.  I will go over the 3 best.  The first is to look for a dirty/oil spot, when refrigerant leaks out it carries a slight amount of oil with it that stays behind and gathers dirt.  The second would be with soap bubbles.  We use common dish soap and place it on the areas we think might be leaking.  If a leak is present then the soap will bubble in that area.  The third way to find a leak on your a/c is with an electronic leak detector.  This detector sniffs the air looking for refrigerant and indicates with a loud beep when it is found.  This can be done with standard pressure in the system for larger leaks or with 400 pounds of nitrogen added to make the leak easier to find for small leaks.

Always Find The Leak

NEVER let anyone add Freon to your system without finding out why you are low.  Refrigerant last forever and does not run out unless there is a leak.  Freon ® is now being regulated by the Federal Government thus is going up in price everyday.  Current prices are up over 300% from last year alone.  Make sure you ask how much it costs per pound and how many pounds you will need. Never pay more for the 1st pound than you do for the rest of them that is silly and you are just being taken advantage of.  NOTE: The amount of refrigerant you need is written on the model number tag on your ac unit.  If someone tells you that you need much more than what is written there you need to call someone else.

Always Here To Help

I hope this will help you with your ac repair.  For more ac repair tips check our other blogs.  Remember ask questions when having an ac repair, it is your money spend it well. Give us a call anytime with questions you might have.  Many times we can help you over the phone and save a service call.  Call now and save money!