The question posed in the title above is a bit of a trick. Why is that? Because it has two answers! In the world of air conditioning repair, a “Freon” charge is either going to be needed:
1. Never
2. Only if there is a leak
Additionally, you may not require a Freon charge because Freon is a brand name for a specific refrigerant and you can use both words (Freon and refrigerant) interchangeably. Either way, if your system is in good shape but is not blowing cold air, it could be that it has lost its refrigerant and that could require a recharge.
Here is where things get a bit tricky because many homeowners find that they are doing a recharge with refrigerant on a regular basis, and that is a sign that any previous air conditioning repair was poorly done. Why? Because the refrigerant is escaping the system, when you repeatedly need the same air conditioning repair it means the leak is not being fixed!
So, that is why the answer to the question was tricky – you should never need an air conditioner to get a new Freon or refrigerant charge unless there is a broken component in the system and the refrigerant is leaking out. Fixing the leak removes the need for the recharging, and it is that simple.
The way that this air conditioning repair works are easy. The repair professional comes out and diagnosis the problem. They fix the leak and then recharge with a few pounds of refrigerant. They test to see the system is now working as before, and you should never suffer from that same issue again.
This means that a good repair professional is going to troubleshoot until they find the leak the first time around, and then get you back up and running. Paying for frequent charges of refrigerant is incredibly wasteful, costly and very bad for the environment. It is also unnecessary if your system is repaired properly the first time around.
How do you know they’ve done the right amount of troubleshooting? Usually, they use special gear to dye or color the refrigerant and find where it is escaping. They’ll empty the system, mend the leak, recharge the unit, do a test, and get you back up to normal.
Are you eager to end the cycle of Freon recharging in your home’s AC system? If so, get in touch with the experts at Howard Services, Inc. in Orange Park, FL.
