It is normal to have to add some oil to your car over time.  Is it also  normal to have to add some refrigerant/Freon to your home’s air conditioner as well?  The answer is no.  Your air conditioner is hermetically sealed.  It does not burn or consume refrigerant over time.  If you are having to go though the expense and inconvenience of periodically adding refrigerant/Freon to you air conditioner,  then you most likely have a refrigerant leak. 

Singer Heating uses electronic test instrument, and other methods, to locate refrigerant/Freon leaks.  Knowledge is power.  A customer cannot make an informed decision on how to handle a refrigerant leak without knowing  how involved and expensive the repair will be.  Sometimes we can fix a leak for the price of 15 minutes labor and sometimes the repair will require replacing major parts of the system.

If your system was made prior to 2010, in most likely uses r-22.  If your system was made after 2010 it most likely has r410a.  The going price for r-22 has gone up drastically over the past few years.  This is due to EPA regulations that limit production of r-22.   In the past it was sometimes more economical to top off the refrigerant charge rather than experience an expensive repair or replacement.  Adding refrigerant, to a leaking r-22, systems is becoming a less attractive option as the price of r-22 continues to rise.  However we will continue to add r-22 to a system if that is your choice.

Beware of HVAC contractors that tell home owners that the law requiters all leaks to be repaired and that it against the law to top off a leaking air conditioner with refrigerant.  Simply put there is no such law, that pertains to “residential” air conditioners.  The decision is yours.  Singer Heating and Cooling provides knowledge and service.  Our customers make the decisions.

There are  r-22 alternative refrigerants on the market.  All of them require,  at the very least,  a complete recovery of all r-22,  replacement of elastomer seals,  replacement of filter dryers,  and a system evacuation prior to re charging with the alternative refrigerant.  In most cases,  system capacity and or efficiency will be lost with the use of alternative refrigerants when used in a system designed for r-22.  It is a violation of federal law to mix alternative refrigerants with R-22. 

Singer Heating and Cooling