The Lifeblood of Your AC Unit - Freon
The Lifeblood of Your AC Unit - Freon
It’s hot outside and you walk into your home and you can’t wait to feel that nice cool air, but you notice one thing missing: cool air. You ask yourself - what’s wrong with my air conditioning?
It could be quite a few things, but one thing that often occurs and causes issues is the air conditioner’s Freon leaking. If you find that your AC system doesn’t seem to be cooling your home, you may have a Freon leak.
What is Freon and what role does it play?
Freon is the cooling agent used in the majority of AC systems. Its role is to create the cool air. Freon used in air conditioning allows your AC system to get rid of its internal heat and makes the air it expels throughout your house cool. Coolant, or refrigerant, is the lifeblood that makes your home nice and cool when it’s hot outside. If it’s leaking, your AC won’t work like it’s supposed to.
4 things that will happen when your Freon is leaking:
- You’ll Hear a Hissing Sound
When Freon used in air conditioning leaks, a hissing or bubbling sound will be heard - it comes from the coolant as it leaks. - The Outside Unit will have an Ice Build-up
When refrigerant is low, the evaporator coil gets too cold and causes the refrigerant to flow back to the copper lines; the moisture around it will freeze. - Higher Energy Bills in the Mail
Since your AC unit has to work harder to cool your home, it will become inefficient and you will see an increase in your monthly energy bills. - Vents are Blowing Warm Air instead of Cold Air
Low levels of refrigerant mean that your AC isn’t absorbing the heat from your home’s air and you’ll notice the vents blowing out warm air.
What should you do if you have a Freon leak?
- Call a professional HVAC company to perform a diagnostics test to find the leak.
- Once the leak is found, it needs to be sealed.
- Add refrigerant to restore it to the level it was before the leak happened.
Adding Freon to your AC unit is also referred to as recharging Freon in your air conditioner as well.
Freon - how much does it cost?
Now that you know what Freon is, let’s look at how much it costs. Unfortunately, it’s not cheap, but it’s still less than having to replace your entire AC. Typical AC systems hold about 4-6 lbs. of Freon, and, depending on the type of coolant needed, it costs between $50-$90 per pound.
What is R-22?
R-22 is a colorless gas commonly used as a refrigerant. Due to the Clean Air Act, it’s being phased out in 2020.
Why is it being phased out?
The U.S. EPA has determined that R-22 has been harmful to the earth’s ozone layer and a nationwide R-22 refrigerant phase out was implemented.
Why is it so expensive?
The EPA requires that the production of the refrigerant itself ends by the year 2020; therefore, because of this limited production, R-22 is more expensive than other refrigerants, costing anywhere from $135-$175 plus per pound.
An efficient AC system that works correctly is a requirement for most of us during hot summer days. If you want a cool home when it’s hot outside, making sure that your AC’s Freon level is where it should be – and not leaking - is very important.Gregg Mechanical is Here to Help!
Even the best heating and cooling systems will eventually need to be fixed or replaced. When it no longer makes smart financial sense to keep investing money in old HVAC equipment, the experienced, dedicated professionals at Gregg Mechanical are your one stop solution. We are proud to carry a wide variety of the best HVAC brands, including A.O. Smith, Burnham, Fujitsu, Navien, Rheem, Trane and Lennox.
For more than three decades, Gregg Mechanical continues to be the most trusted name in HVAC services for Staten Island. Our highly trained and skilled, licensed and certified technicians have helped countless homeowners with all of their heating and cooling repair, replacement and maintenance needs. We take great pride in the reputation we have earned over the years for our quality work and excellent customer service. Our company is also rated A+ with the Better Business Bureau.
If you are in need of heating or cooling repair or replacement services, call us at 800-711-3479. We're available 24/7 to answer your call and we have expert technicians on call, ready to quickly be sent to your location anywhere on Staten Island.