What are the signs my air conditioner is leaking refrigerant?
Three signs show up most: ice or frost forming on the evaporator coils, airflow that has gone weak or stopped feeling cold, and an energy bill climbing without any change in how you use the system. Water pooling around the indoor unit belongs on the same list. Any of them is worth a service call, because refrigerant does not get used up in normal running.
What it actually depends on
Which refrigerant the system takes. R-22, sold as Freon, could no longer be made or imported into the United States after January 1, 2020. Systems built since then use R-410A or Puron. On an older unit, a leak is not only a repair, it is the moment the refrigerant supply question arrives.
Where the leak is. A fitting is a different job from a coil. Finding it is the work, and it is why recharging without repairing is a short term answer at best.
How long it has been running low. A system starved of refrigerant works harder for less cooling, and that strain reaches the compressor eventually.
Why ice on the coils means the opposite of what people expect
Frost on an air conditioner looks like it is working hard. It is the opposite. When refrigerant is low, the pressure in the coil drops, the coil gets colder than it should, and moisture in the air freezes onto it. That ice then blocks the airflow, which is why the two symptoms so often arrive together: frost on the coil and almost nothing coming out of the vents.
Turning the system off and letting it thaw will clear the ice. It will not fix the leak, and the ice will be back. Finding it is what leak repair is.
Common questions
Does refrigerant get used up over time?
No. A sealed system keeps the same charge. If it is low, it is escaping somewhere, which is why a recharge without a repair does not hold.
Is a refrigerant leak dangerous?
The bigger risk is usually to the system. A unit running low is under strain, and the repair is cheaper than the compressor.
My older unit uses Freon. Can it still be repaired?
Often, yes. What changes is the supply. R-22 can no longer be produced or imported in the United States, so it is worth knowing where your system stands before the next leak rather than after it.
Have the leak found
Call 985-624-8831 or send the contact form. Leak repair starts with locating it, not with topping the system up and hoping.
