Freon leaks in your air conditioner will cost you a lot of money. Repair these leaks as soon as possible and prevent them from happening again.
In the past, a Freon leak was not considered much of a problem, because Freon was not as expensive as it is today. Homeowners would simply top off the Freon when the level went down due to a leakage. Today Freon is quite expensive, due to new EPA regulations, so it is important to keep any leaks under check.
Freon can leak from the system due to a number of reasons. The most common reasons are as follows.
Poor Installation Work
Whenever a newly-installed air conditioning unit has a leak, the unit may not have been installed properly. Consumers focus on finding the most ideal price for a brand-new air conditioning unit, but they may not be aware of the importance of finding the best person to install the air conditioner unit properly. Improperly attached joints may result in pinhole leaks in the unit. These pinhole leaks create slow leaks that may go unnoticed for at least one year or as long as five years after the unit is installed. Due to this, a reputable St. Louis HVAC company should be employed to install the unit.
Manufacturing Defects
Aside from poor installation work, another cause of a leaking air conditioner is a defect in components of the unit. It is possible that during the manufacturing process, some solders may have been inadequate or the unit could have suffered a puncture during packaging or delivery.
Corrosion by Formic Acid
Formic acid is an acid that forms naturally in the ground, and it can etch copper coil and produce minute cracks on it. Freon leaks caused by formic acid worsen over a period of time, which makes it necessary to constantly refill the Freon.
Unintentional Punctures In the Lines
Fastening a picture or driving nails into a wall may poke a hole on the line set of the system since the pipes of the unit are positioned along the walls and other structures inside the house.
Finding the Source of the Freon Leak
When a Freon leak is suspected in an air conditioner, an electronic leak detector is used to find the possible location of the leak. After the location is determined, a leak detection mixture is used to produce bubbles on the site of the leak.
You can do a number of things to contain the leaks. The first option is to apply a leak sealant. This is a cheap and easy method for covering any leaks on units that are between seven and twelve years old. The second option is to change the leaking part, particularly for units still covered by a warranty. Once the unit is completely drained, it will be difficult to identify additional damage unless the unit is refilled.
If your air conditioner is leaking Freon, call Engineered Solutions at (314) 394-0802 to determine the best way to repair the leak.
Photo credit: Mike Prosser via Flickr
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