Leaking air conditioners not only cost a lot of money, but can also have a negative impact on your health. Summer has just started and you have noticed that your air conditioning is not working as expected. Warm air from the vent is usually the first sign that something is wrong with your air conditioner. Learning the Freon exam in conditioners is one of the basic but most important troubleshooting processes an owner needs to learn.
Read on to learn how to check Freon in air conditioners. Does your air conditioner use the old refrigerant Freon (R-22) or the latest R-410A? Knowing this can save you a lot of problems (and unnecessary expenses) in the future. If you are unsure of the type of refrigerant your air conditioner uses, contact a local HVAC repair company. If you live in Phoenix, Arizona, American Home Water and Air is the most popular. Find out more here.
How important is Freon for your air conditioning system?
Without Freon, your air conditioning system is practically dead. Freon is the refrigerant that is responsible for heat absorption. The now cooled air is then pushed back into your room by the air conditioning fan.
Note: In contrast to LPG, which is used up and has to be refilled occasionally, Freon is not used up. Be careful with technicians who tell you that it is normal for Freon to be exhausted. In perfect conditions, Freon is never exhausted.
Why should I check Freon in air conditioners when it never gets exhausted?
Even if Freon should not be exhausted, there are some cases in which this is the case. This usually happens when your air conditioner coils are leaking. You should know not only how to check Freon in air conditioners, but also what to do if you find that the refrigerant pipes are leaking.
How to check Freon in air conditioners
There are some signs to look out for when checking your air conditioner's Freon values. Remember to be careful. If this sounds complicated, contact your trusted HVAC technician.
Check the fan and look for warm air: The first step is to check that your air conditioner's fan is running. Meanwhile, put your hand over the ventilation opening of your air conditioning system to check whether the blown air is cool. Warm air is one of the signs that your Freon values are low. Don't jump to conclusions now, but go through the remaining steps before deciding to top up.
Frost on refrigerant lines: Then check your air conditioning cooling system for signs of ice or frost. Freon has a very low temperature and pressure. If your refrigerant lines are leaking, Freon cools the ambient air, creating blocks of ice. If you're not careful, your air conditioner can turn into a giant block of ice.
Hissing and other strange noises: Turn on your air conditioner, let it stabilize and watch out for strange noises. Pay close attention to the refrigerant lines. If you hear bubbling or hissing noises, there is a freon leak.
The soap test: Sometimes the leak is so small that you can barely hear any noise. If so, continue with the soap test. Make a soap solution and sprinkle it on the suspicious spots. If there is a leak, you will see bubbles (a clear indication that you are losing some freon).
Electronic detectors: As the name suggests, special equipment must be used to check the freon values of your air conditioning system (these are used by professionals). There are others who work like sniffer dogs. They "sniff" the air around the air conditioning line and sound the alarm if they detect a leak. There is a freon leak if your air conditioner tests positive for all of these signs. In addition, the freon values of your air conditioning system probably have to be exceeded.
We will tell you about some things the HVAC technician will do:
- First, they evacuate the system. To do this, you need to remove the entire freon from your air conditioner
- Next, locate and seal the holes in the refrigerant lines
- They check and check whether the holes are sealed. To do this, you need to check your air conditioner again
- Refill your air conditioner with the required amount of freon
Note: Do not let the technician refill your air conditioner without first checking and sealing all Freon leaks.
Freon vs. Modern Refrigerants (R-410A) – which one do you use and why should you take care of it?
The majority of air conditioning owners use the term “freon” to refer generally to the refrigerant in their air conditioning systems. What they don't know is that Freon is a brand name for a specific refrigerant for air conditioning (R-22). Most of them are usually surprised that Freon was banned in 2010. Freon should expire completely by 2020.
Freon was banned as a desperate step to save Mother Nature (the properties of chlorofluorocarbons reduce the Earth's ozone layer). After Freon's "fall" in 2010, manufacturers were able to develop other ozone-friendly refrigerants such as Puron (R-410A), R-32 and R-134A.
Why should you care about the type of refrigerant your air conditioner uses?
When Freon (we refer to R-22) was banned in 2010, its production was stopped and it is now barely available on the market (with the shortage there was a significant price increase). Freon (R-22) is now more expensive than ever. This is also one of the main reasons why you need to learn how to check Freon in air conditioners and seal all leaks before it costs you a fortune. In most cases, a drop in the Freon level is caused by leaks in the refrigerant pipes of your air conditioning system (sealing these pipes will save you a lot of money).
