How Do I Know If My Air Conditioner Needs Freon?
If an air conditioner is not cooling as well as it once was, it may need Freon. Some signs of this include the air conditioner being turned up to the highest setting, but barely producing any cold air, or cold air not coming out at all. Another sign is if large amounts of water are leaking from the air conditioner’s air handler.
An additional sign that an air conditioner may need Freon is if the unit’s pipes freeze over or if the unit’s outside lines frost over inside of the condenser.
Freon is used to transfer heat from inside a building. After it absorbs the heat, it transfers the hot air outside to cool the air down. The cooler air is transported back inside the building, and the process repeats itself. The Freon inside the unit continuously circles through the system, so the air conditioner does not need regular refilling. If the air conditioner is low on Freon, it is most likely caused by a leak in the unit. An air conditioner should receive an HVAC tune-up at least once a year to help prevent leaks from occurring. The best time to schedule a tune-up is in the spring before cooling companies become booked with summer orders.
