Austin Air Companie Blog : Posts Tagged ‘AC leaking freon’

Air Conditioning Repair Today Katy Texas

Sunday, May 12th, 2024

Call me and get AC Service Today 832-475-6895 from Katy, Texas during the summer it’s almost certain that you will want your AC system back on line as soon as possible. I see it quite often running service on the weekends and even on summer holidays not to mention during the week. It becomes clear to me that fast, friendly AC service is often not thought of until the need arises and the cooling stops.

A fair number of my customers come to me this way. I am given a big responsibility to these customers that I will not let them down. Certainly I can perform AC repairs for most of them with in 3 hours of getting the call depending on the current demand for AC repairs. I think many people that stumble across my AC services are surprised at the speed and efficiency of which I operate.

You see just as there can be heavy AC repair demand, there are also a good number of lulls in demand as well. I use these lulls to do various tasks and functions like writing blogs and so on. I know for you looking from the outside in and comparing me to other AC companies that I probably look much larger of a company than what I am.

This is merely to show you, the customer there is someone “At The Wheel” that cares. I can’t be all things to all people, I try to be the best at service and quality of that service and let the chips fall where they may. I offer timely solutions to your HVAC problems and I know a good many of people see the value in that.

Air Conditioning Replacement

There are times in running service calls that your air conditioning system may not be able to be repaired or may not be worth trying to repair it. The last thing you want to do is waste money on a AC system that has seen better days. 

In situations like these I give good reason for my opinion of repair versus replacement. In some cases I may give you both repair and replacement options and let you decide on your own. This decision isn’t always about me and what I want, it’s about giving  you choices for you to decide on your own in some cases.

However, the cost to repair an older system that is most likely a Freon based system is fraught with heavy risk for you. In cases such as these depending on what is wrong with your system I almost always recommend replacement because you need to be aware of what is already here as of this Katy Air Conditioning Repair Service blog post.

AC Repairs Today Call Ray Austin @ 832-475-6895

R22 Freon Is Going Away

You must realize that R22 Freon is going away (January 1, 2020 R22 Production Ceases). The cost of this refrigerant is going up. Amounts of how much anyone can buy at any given time is being restricted in certain cases. As time moves forward this situation will continue to get worse. Therefore, it is in your best interest to make plans now to switch over to the new refrigerant for the High Temp application of Air Conditioning. This new refrigerant isn’t really new. It’s been in use for over 20 years now and is called R410a or Puron.

R410a Puron Is Going Away

As of 2024, R410a is a refrigerant that has been used for over 20 years. It is being phased down for different reasons that R22 Freon. Realize that Freon and Puron are brand names. I come with experience to know the type of refrigerant your system needs. As of 2024 the production limits of R410a have been cut by 40% less than the base line amount years ago. I can still get both types of refrigerants but costs keep going up. Refrigerants are a complicated issue to have with an Air Conditioning system as it implies there is a leak with the system if it is found to be low. If the leak(s) are not fixed, the refrigerant will leak back out. In some instances the reason your system leaked may be due to service practices. Every situation is unique and it’s best for me to inspect your system(s) and then give you some options rather than “guess” here what may or may not be wrong with it.

HVAC is changing make sure you’re not making a big mistake!

New Refrigerants for Air Conditioning in 2024

They will be R32 & R454b. These new choices will require replacement of your AC equipment to implement them. They aren’t quite here yet and expected to arrive sometime in the 4th quarter of 2024. (I have videos explaining these changes and more click here for more information.)

AC Freon Recharging

This is an old practice of temporarily fixing an AC system that has Freon leaks. Due to higher refrigerant costs this practice is no longer feasible in some cases. Each situation is different and while I can recharge a system temporarily the risk is that this money for recharging is wasted. Many times I may find AC systems in which AC service work was performed poorly and for those reasons feel a refrigerant recharge may work because I have no service history on the system. Even still this is merely a judgment call in which I am not always right. I explain the risks to you and let you decide your own path in certain situations such as this.

It’s important to find the refrigerant leak OR it will just leak back out costing you even more hard earned money.

Guessing What Is Wrong With Your AC System

You shouldn’t try to guess what is wrong with your AC system. Nor should you try to get me to guess over the phone. I realize it matters not one bit what I put here people will continue to do what they have always done. But for the sake of this text I will give you some reasons why you should not guess as to what is wrong with your air conditioner.

Guessing doesn’t fix anything. There are a multitude of parts that make your AC function and do it’s job. You want a professional job don’t you? What part of professional is consistent with guessing?

I think my system is low on Freon? Certainly your system could be low on Freon but did you know that over 90% of the time the problem is more likely to be an electrical or mechanical problem. In some cases it could be electrical as well as a refrigerant problem.

Hire A Licensed AC Professional

It’s tough out there to find an HVAC pro that knows what they are doing. This business is a hard business, it takes many, many years to gain the experience in all things HVAC. Technicians mostly dominate the field because HVAC License holders are mostly older and rarely work out in the field any more. These reasons put me in a class all of my own because I do all of my own work. From repairs to new installations. This hands on approach gives you a better quality product not to mention a HVAC service provider second to none.

There’s only 1 Ray Austin. The best AC service call Today.

This isn’t to mean all Technicians are bad. I was once one of them too many years ago. This is merely a rough example how difficult it can be to find a GOOD one. Once you realize these things I’ve spelled out in this blog post you are much further on your way to making a better decision regarding your home comfort and repairing or replacing your HVAC system.

Air Conditioning Experience in 2024

Over 30 years! That’s a lot of experience. No one knows it all, but the more experience one has? The better the outcome you will have.

Thank you for visiting with me today. I hope your day is comfortable!

About the author of this Katy Texas Air Conditioning blog:

My name is Ray Austin. I am the owner and operator of Austin Air Companie, a  Ray Austin HVAC Service Company serving Katy, Texas | Cypress, Texas | Richmond, Texas and some surrounding areas. I am a Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor with over 30 years experience in Air Conditioning and Heating Systems as of 2024. I hold an AOS degree in HVAC/R, EPA universally certified to handle any refrigerant and NATE certified in HVAC installations and repairs. I also own and operate a real estate rental business. It is not likely there is any HVAC company truly like me.

People that use my services like the fact that they only have to deal with 1 person. The same person each and every time. It has always been this way for over 16 years now since I started my HVAC company. There is only one opinion here and I believe it is worth what I charge for it.

A free opinion is usually free because it’s not worth anything. If something is worth doing, it’s doing it the right way. The right way can be misconceived because of the opinion of who you’re talking to. I don’t think I can make this any more clear. You have choices. I can’t tell you how many times a year I find people who made the wrong choice. Choose wisely.


I understand that comfort means different things to different people. I am not here to force something on you I often will provide more than 1 choice. Many of the opinions I provide you are rooted in experience of performing HVAC for a living for over 30 years now. My opinion is not rooted in hearsay, rumors or intimidation of a boss because he “made some deal” with a manufacturer.

Austin Air Companie doesn’t choose equipment / parts / service methods because of some “under handed deal”. I choose equipment based on experience of doing and how that equipment is likely to perform. Is it always perfect? No.

That is what service is all about. You have that number to call when you need it. You will always need a good HVAC repairman, even if you choose me. I don’t provide gimmicks here. Some want to be told if they pick this or that their worries are over. I’m here to tell you that is a gimmick and your mileage will vary. Check out my You Tube videos… all brands break I show you this in butter your eyeballs high definition video.

 

Austin Air Companie

832.475.6895

“Your home comfort from A to Z”

Air Conditioning | Controls | Heating | Zoning

A Ray Austin HVAC Service Company

For more information:

videos, tips and everything air conditioning and heating

for your home you can always visit me on my main website @

https://www.austinairco.com

Better Service. Done Right. On Time. Guaranteed.

Air Conditioning Freon Leaks

Monday, May 18th, 2015

Air Conditioning Freon Leaks
(video included below “My AC Evaporator Is Leaking Freon? WHERE?”)

Freon in this case more or less means refrigerant, because you could in fact have a system that uses R410a that is also known as Puron. Puron is a trademark name commonly used to describe this new air conditioning refrigerant.

R22 Freon and R410a Puron are the only two EPA & Manufacturer approved refrigerants for use in a High Temp air conditioning application like residential air conditioning or commercial air conditioning. Notice I said High Temp… This application design temperature is to maintain temperature of a structure between 70 to 80 degrees. There are other applications and many different refrigerants. So you need to realize before reading any further this subject is on High Temperature Central Air Conditioning application ONLY.

When a home air conditioner is low on refrigerant, it will perform inadequately not putting out enough cooling in all areas of the structure. However, a low refrigerant suspicion doesn’t mean something else could be at play with your system. Guessing will not fix your air conditioning system. I’m not paid to guess just as much as I am not paid to “play around” with your system. I can only get to the root of your problem by diagnosing it and that requires a visit to your home in person. This is what I do for a living.

Many people to this day, believe their air conditioning system uses refrigerant and this liquid needs to be replaced or refilled at some point. Wrong. The only time you need refrigerant is when you have developed a leak or the refrigerant circuit needs repair. However, if you simply refill the system and there is a refrigerant leak then it will leak back out again a short time later depending of course how large or bad the leak is.

Refrigerant leaks can be caused by:
Formicary Corrosion
Defective part in refrigerant circuit
Poor servicing methods
unit vibration
improper or neglected maintenance
equipment age (worn out)
poor equipment design or installation
Dog urine
Freezing of the Evaporator Coil

Refrigerants CAN NOT be:
Mixed
Installed in wrong equipment
USED

Doing such things listed above will void ANY manufacturer warranty, not to mention add serious costs to repair up to and including the replacement of your AC System.

When you look at your AC equipment you don’t see anything leaking from it, so it must be OK? Condensation or moisture isn’t refrigerant. Water leaks are an entirely different subject.

Just because you don’t see anything when looking at your AC system doesn’t mean much…. Refrigerants turn to vapor under our atmosphere many times you will not be able to visually see the leak without the help of a refrigerant detector.
(Watch the embedded video below for better understanding.)

Trying to guess where a refrigerant leak is without testing for it is NOT RECOMMENDED under any circumstance, UNLESS you are replacing the whole Air Conditioning System or you enjoy the possibility of wasting money.

National average life of an Air Conditioning System is 15 Years. If yours didn’t last that long you may want to consider making a change some where.

I hope this information saves you from making a costly mistake.
Have a GREAT Summer! Thank you for visiting.

About the Author of this blog:
My name is Ray Austin. I am the owner and operator of Austin Air Companie, a HVAC Service Company serving Katy, Texas | Cypress, Texas and some surrounding areas. I am a Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor with over 20 years experience in Air Conditioning and Heating Systems. I hold an AOS degree in HVAC/R, EPA universally certified to handle any refrigerant and NATE certified in HVAC installations and repairs.

Austin Air Companie
832~475~6895
“Your home comfort from A to Z”
Air Conditioning | Controls | Heating | Zoning

For more information you can always visit me on my main website @
www.austinairco.com

Better Stuff. Done Right. On Time. Guaranteed.