Serving Katy, Texas area: Freon leaks in your air conditioning system pose a big challenge now and in the foreseeable future. Part of the problem can sometimes be a missed diagnosis, because what seems as a system low on Freon in fact could be something else entirely different. Some problems with your air conditioner can mimic that of a system being low on Freon when in fact the system isn’t low on Freon at all. To make matters worse the required amount of refrigerant needed for a modern AC system could be anywhere from 6 to 20 pounds of refrigerant. This isn’t something that should be guessed at.
Guessing Is Not Diagnosing An AC System
Guessing only leads to more guessing. This is why proper diagnosis (in person) is key and why inspection of your air conditioning system by a professional licensed HVAC contractor is necessary to getting the results of what you are looking for to begin with. If a system is thought to be low on Freon and the system is charged with additional Freon this additional Freon in many instances can cause the system not to work under heavy heat conditions and it’s not likely to help at all under low heat conditions either. You see when an AC system is under heavy heat conditions, the refrigerant expands. There is only so much room in your air conditioner. If the system is over charged with refrigerant it won’t work right just as much as if the system were under charged, not having enough refrigerant to operate properly.
Air Conditioners Do Not Use Up Freon
Air conditioning systems are designed to be perfectly sealed systems. If the system is leak free it can run forever without any fuss of needing to recharge Freon into the system. The problem is that as an air conditioner ages it can be susceptible to forming leaks sometimes due to poor servicing methods and some times due to just normal wear and tear. Most often the Freon leaks form within the equipment itself. Some times these leaks are repairable and sometimes the leaks are not repairable and may require some equipment to be replaced with new equipment to repair the Freon leaks properly.
Many times I get called out on systems that I have never been to before. Because I have no records of the system in question I can give you several options as a way to get to the point of repairing your system, there isn’t always a ‘one size’ fits all approach to these kinds of problems. Obviously in order to even get to this point the system has to be properly diagnosed to even know that it is low on refrigerant to begin with.
AC Freon Leaks Should Be Repaired Properly
If you have had to recharge your AC system before, there is a good chance the air conditioning system probably has a Freon leak. But even that is not certain if you are a victim of poor servicing methods. The problem with refrigerant leaks is that the best cure is repair the leak. The bigger problem is knowing where the leak is. This many times comes by way of experience and knowing where many leaks typically form with in your AC system. It’s not always that easy to find really small Freon leaks. If you are not certain where a leak exists and you replace only part of the AC equipment only to later find the system low on Freon again, there could be a good chance you made a repair for nothing or you just have an aging system that keeps springing refrigerant leaks. That’s what makes this difficult and why I am writing this blog right now.
Adding things to your system that don’t belong in your system to begin with to find Freon leaks or try to repair them with snake oil additives is not advisable because you are now placing things in your refrigeration system that shouldn’t be there to begin with. I have methods to find leaks that don’t involve adding things to a system. It is the better way to do it with better long term results. Obviously every method doesn’t result in success every time. In time conclusions can be drawn from my own experience and previous invoice records of a given property. Yes, there is more than one reason for a service invoice.
Importance Of AC Service Records
Service records play an important role of keeping your system properly tuned with the right amount of refrigerant your HVAC system needs to perform properly. This is why it is not a good idea to jump from one AC company to another. If servicing is poor at one company, it is likely to be no better at another. This is why you should hire a pro to service your HVAC equipment.
I can give you several options to get to the bottom of system performance issues as well as provide you with options to get that leak free AC system you are looking for. Then as you need service, the service records look to keep you further informed in regards to refrigerant charges and whatever else your system has needed previously in the way of repairs.
As of 2017, there is no such thing as a ‘better’ refrigerant all of them are expensive, and all of them require systems to be leak free. The old way of doing things was merely to recharge the system, but due to the continuing rising costs of refrigerants this option is not a viable long term solution. You must be looking at ways to find and fix those Freon leaks, regardless of what type of refrigerant your system uses.
Thank you for visiting with me today.
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 | Richmond, Texas and some surrounding areas. I am a Texas Licensed HVAC Contractor with over 22 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”
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For more information you can always visit me on my main website @
www.austinairco.com
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