Inexpensive Solution for a Leaking HVAC System
When you know or suspect a tiny refrigerant leak, this easy, inexpensive solution is worth a try.
It’s probably the most common HVAC call “the apartment is hot, but the air conditioner is running”. Upon arrival, you check the unit find the coil frozen, so you change the filter and wait for it to defrost. When you come back, you can see that the coils are relatively clean, and check the system’s pressures. It reads a little low, so you top the system off with a pound or two of refrigerant and everything seems to be cooling and working fine.
A month later, another “AC not working” service request comes from the apartment home. You arrive on the scene only to find the same situation, but this time you know the cause is likely a refrigerant leak. At this point, there are several options or a combination of approaches to get things running smoothly in the short-term while figuring out the long-term solution.
You could:
1. Do nothing.
Ok, maybe that isn’t a real option unless you want an unhappy resident.
2. Top off the unit so it will work for another month.
This approach will get old quickly and may cause resident satisfaction issues when the HVAC unit continues to have problems.
3. Insert AC Leak Freeze and top off the refrigerant.
This could fix the pinhole leak and is certainly worth a try, especially if the unit is still within its serviceable life.
4. Try to find and solder the leak, then top off the system.
This can be a great option if you have the dye, tools, time and skillset to fix it.
5. Replace the entire unit.
If the unit is too old, the leak too large and/or there are other existing issues, it might just be the time to replace the entire unit, if the budget allows.
While every case is different, knowing what little we do know from this example, our Chadwell University trainers would recommend trying option #3 – AC Leak Freeze.
While AC Leak Frees isn’t right for every situation or leak, it would usually be worth the small investment to see if its patented nano-technology will seal a pinhole leak in the system.
Worst case? The leak isn’t sealed and needs to be located and fixed the old-fashioned way or you will need to consider bigger repairs or even replacing the unit. But, for a small leak, the quicker, cheaper solution might save you a lot of time and money. It’s certainly worth a shot!
For more on how to use AC Leak Freeze, check out this demo video.
