Mistakes To Avoid With Leaking AC Refrigerant

Posted on: 1 June 2021

AC units can experience leaking refrigerant at times. It usually is because some of your coolant lines have eroded too much. If you are aware of these mistakes when addressing this problem, you can get refrigerant to stay in the lines on a consistent basis.

Continuing to Add More Refrigerant

A pretty common solution homeowners look to when addressing leaking refrigerant is just adding more refrigerant. This may solve the problem for a couple of days, but eventually, the refrigerant will leak out so much that getting cool air will be a tough feat. 

Continuing this cycle is just going to cost you money, which can be a lot if you have a large AC unit that requires a lot of refrigerant. You need to tackle the issue with a repair rather than just adding more refrigerant. That's a better and more cost-effective solution. 

Trying to Use a Leak Detector Without Professional Assistance

There is a device called a leak detector that can identify refrigerant that is coming out of lines. However, a lot of homeowners will try purchasing this device and using it themselves when trying to figure out where the refrigerant is getting out.

You shouldn't do this because you probably will just waste time. You need a trained professional that has worked with this detector before to find leaking refrigerant quickly. If you hire an HVAC technician, you won't have to buy this detector. The technician will already have it in their arsenal and can use it the way it was meant to be used.

Putting Simple Tape Over Structural Defects

If you are somehow able to identify the source of the refrigerant leak in a line, you want to be sure of the patching materials you rely on. Don't just use general tape. That's not going to hold up most of the time. Instead, the tape will probably fall off after some time and let refrigerant out again.

You need professional patching solutions. For example, professional-grade silicone tape is probably the best solution for minor structural problems around the coolant lines. It will hold, thanks to its strong adhesives. 

Refrigerant leaks may happen with older AC systems because of their lines not being in a great condition. If you have said unit, make sure your repair methods aren't set up for failure. Then you'll have an easier time keeping refrigerant in your system once again. 

Contact an AC repair technician to learn more.

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