Fixing a refrigerant leak in your HVAC requires some detective work and smart labor by a trained technician.
A leak also can be dangerous. Refrigerant is toxic; only a trained technician should handle it.
You might notice a hissing sound that tells you the refrigerant is leaking from a pinhole. Or you may see fluid around your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.
More likely, you will notice the system isn’t delivering air at the desired temperature.
A leak means the refrigerant no longer is adequately absorbing heat from the indoor air and taking it to the condenser coil, where it is released into the air. Meanwhile, your system will be working harder and using more power to do less of its job.
In other words, you are losing money and not getting the temperature you want!
And untrained people who come in contact with refrigerant can suffer headaches, nausea, eye and skin irritation, difficulty breathing and worse ailments.
What the tech does
A trained technician will follow a checklist of likely spots for the leak. He may use diagnostic tools, dye and other techniques to trace the leak to its source.
If the system is more than 10-to-15 years old, it may make sense to replace the entire system rather than repair the leak.
If you choose to repair the leak, the tech may solder the area around the leak. Or he may replace it with a new part.
Then comes in-depth testing with nitrogen to determine if the problem is solved and there is no other leak.
Only then will the tech put refrigerant into the system and make sure it is charged correctly.
Freon almost gone
Some people still think of refrigerant as Freon, a brand name. But Freon is being phased out in favor of new refrigerants that don’t damage the ozone as Freon did.
The chief replacement for Freon is a coolant called R-410A, which is sold by several manufacturers. Brand names include SUVA 410A, Puron, Genetron AZ-20 and Forane 410A.
Premier’s experienced, insured technicians are very adept at finding and repairing refrigerant leaks. We guarantee their work. We are available 24/7 for emergencies. (718) 395-2627
