AC Refrigerant Leak & Freon Recharge Services
In the hot summer months, homeowners rely heavily on their air conditioners to keep their inside space cool and comfortable. If your home is struggling to stay cool, you may be dealing with a refrigerant leak. No matter what the cause of your problems, you can count on Sunset Heating & Cooling for all your AC refrigerant leak repair solutions. With close to a century’s worth of expertise in the area, we offer quality solutions you can depend on.
The best way to keep repair issues at bay is with ongoing maintenance and care. Speak to our technicians today to schedule an AC tune-up.
Signs Your AC Has a Refrigerant Leak
A refrigerant leak is something homeowners do not want to ignore. Not only will it prevent your AC unit from working properly, but also it can have some serious health effects such as refrigerant poisoning caused by inhaling the leaking gas or fluid. Typically, a refrigerant (or freon) leak will be caused by damage to the evaporator coils. Damage due to improper handling and corrosion are both common ways a leak can start. Regardless of how a leak was caused, it will need to be repaired immediately.
- Lack of Cool Air – When your thermostat is set to a level you normally enjoy, but the space is still warm it could indicate a freon leak. The refrigerant coils in your AC is what cools the warm air in your home. When there is a freon leak, the refrigerant coils will not cool the air sufficiently.
- Increased Energy Bills – When you have a freon leak, the refrigerant coils need to work harder in order to cool the warm air. This is going to cause an increase in your energy bills.
- Hissing – Corrosion is one of the more common reasons you could have a refrigerant leak. Corrosion can cause small tears and holes in the coil line itself which can lead to a hissing sound similar to the sound a garden hose makes when it has a leak.
- Water Accumulation – Unless you have a water leak, a noticeable puddle of water can indicate a freon leak. What happens is when there is not enough freon, the coils can not pull in enough warm air into the coils. The lack of warmth causes the coils to freeze which then causes condensation; causing a drip and puddle.
How Refrigerant Leaks Are Detected
A properly functioning air conditioner should not require a freon recharge as the gas is consistently cycling throughout your system and never actually burns out. Because of this, any issues related to inconsistent temperatures or warm air will often be attributed to an AC refrigerant leak.
If you have noticed any of the warning signs above, you may have a refrigerant leak. In order to positively determine whether or not you have a freon leak, the best course of action is to contact a professional. Our professional HVAC technicians can do one of three tests to determine what the problem is.
Detection Methods
- Detection by Nitrogen – The first test is done by emptying all of the freon from the system. The technician will then push nitrogen through the system. As nitrogen is at a higher pressure than freon, you will be able to hear any air escaping from a hole or crack.
- Detection by Electronics – An electronic leak detector can pinpoint the exact location of a refrigerant leak, allowing our technicians to make precise repairs.
- Detection by Dye – Fluorescent dye is added to the refrigerant system and traced under ultraviolet light to identify leak locations that may be difficult to spot otherwise.
