Most homeowners have experienced a hot home that was saved by an air conditioning technician adding refrigerant (sometimes called freon) to their cooling system. This is one of the most common AC repairs but many people don’t realize you should never have to add refrigerant to your AC system! It is circulated through your system continually to cool the air in your home. The only reason your AC system would need refrigerant or freon is if there is a leak. As a result many people waste hundreds or thousands of dollars recharging their system each Summer. Your House Pro technician will help you decide whether or not adding refrigerant is the best choice and how you should handle the leak.
Uncomfortable home – improper charge makes it harder for your system to cool your home.
High Energy Bills – because your system can’t cool the air as efficiently it has to run longer to reduce the temperature.
Evaporator Coil Leaks – caused by age, lack of maintenance or damage.
Condenser Coil Leaks – caused by age, lack of maintenance or damage.
Schrader Valve Leaks – caused by damage to the valve seal.
R-410a – Modern air conditioning systems use R-410a. It is more efficient and less hazardous than older refrigerants.
R-22 – Typically used in systems over 10 years old. R-22 is no longer produced in the United States and is being phased out because of its potential environmental damage. The price of R-22 is much higher and continues to rise because the supply is limited. You should upgrade to a modern AC system if your system uses R-22 and has a leak.
R-407c – R407c is the drop in refrigerant that is used in place of R-22. When an R-22 system has a small leak it is cheaper and less hazardous to the environment to add in R-407c. R-407c has a small efficiency loss when used in R-22 systems.
