During the spring and summer months we run into several units that are leaking. It’s important that you get all the facts and make an educated decision on whether the leak should be repaired or you should just replace the equipment.
How common are Leaks?
Air Conditioners are high pressure systems. While it is closed and you should never lose any refrigerant… over time there can be incredibly small leaks or the vibration of the compression, mixed with a possibility of corrosion can open the door for leaks.
Our opinion is that a leak is inevitable, but we hope that it appears much later down the road. It can happen though where a unit can leak in his effective life (first 15 years).
What points can a system leak at?
In almost all cases, a leak is going to happen at a joint where it is brazed or soldered. Each indoor coil has hundreds of joints, as well as the outdoor unit. The line between the indoor and outdoor unit has a couple of them, and usually with a leak detector or UV dye we would see that clearly.
Certain spots are not easy to replace, such as indoor coils. Typically we end up having a situation where we can try to repair it but it makes more monetary sense to just replace the coil with a new one.
A system can also leak from the schrader core (like your tire on your bike or car, they can leak slowly). Those repairs are typically easy as we have schrader core removal tools where we can replace those. It’s also easy to detect a schrader core leak (in most cases).
In summary, it can happen in hundreds of spots. Most are joints but there are a few others spots where it can happen. Some are easy fixes but can be trouble, so we look at replacing that portion of the system if possible.
Can we find the leak?
One important item to take into mind is that a leak search is not guaranteed to find the leak. Leaks range in size from microscopic leaks that can take 2-3 years to lose 2lbs, to substantial leaks that can drop a charge in a day. The bigger the leak, the easier it will be to find with our equipment. Regardless if we can find the leak or not, the time to perform the search is billable. We have had relatively good luck in finding the leaks, but that brings the next part into the question.
We are big believers in UV dye. We use dye that will sit in your air conditioner system and as it leaks out will leak oils over the spot which will be UV reactive (black light) where it can be spotted. This system is NOT perfect but it has allowed us to find leaks we have not been able to find otherwise.
Our team used to offer leak stop as a solution to potentially making a system last a little bit longer, but we have not had good luck with it being effective. We do not recommend using those, as it’s expensive and the chance of working is so low, and it can mess with or damage our professional equipment.
Can we fix the leak?
If we do find the source of the leak and it is on an indoor Air Conditioner coil, odds are you are better off replacing that coil. This means you’re spending several hundred to get a new coil and replace it. If you choose that route, you do risk that the outdoor condenser may fail in the not too distant future. If that happens you will need to most likely replace the outside coil and the inside coil again to one that is compatible with current systems.
Can’t you keep filling it?
While we do not think it’s a good long term option, technically we can continue to fill up Air Conditioners that leak out. Each refrigerant will have a different cost. R-22 is the most expensive and typically if it’s leaking out fast we do not recommend spending money on it due to the age. R-410 is lower cost for now, but will rise in the coming years.
When we refill units it’s important to know that we do not know how long it will last. It could last 5 minutes, it could last 5 years. The first time you have to recharge the air conditioner you should be putting money aside for a future repair or a replacement of the equipment.
What’s your opinion?
Replacement is usually a better option. While it may be cheaper to find the leak and repair you have to remember that this takes time, sometimes multiple hours which we cannot get to when it’s very hot out due to the amount of emergency calls we get. With a replacement you get a fresh warranty and newer coils that have more protection from leaks than past generations.
We have seen customers come out ahead from a leak search but a majority of them came down to a leak at the indoor coil, which would be a thousand plus repair. If it isn’t partially or fully covered by warranty you’re better off putting that to a newer Air Conditioner system.