During the hottest months of the year, your home’s air conditioning system is critical for keeping indoor temperatures comfortable. However, if it has refrigerant leaks, it won’t be able to bring in enough cool air, making you hot and sweaty and costing you a lot of money in energy bills.
It’s critical to know how to check for Freon leaks in a home AC system if you don’t want to be left dealing with sweltering temperatures during the hot summer months.
How to Check for Freon Leak in Home AC
One of the finest methods to attempt on how to check for Freon leaks in a home AC without hiring a professional is the soap bubble test. This is a rather straightforward test to perform. All you have to do is combine soap and warm water. Then, for several minutes, you must mix this solution.
Send it through your AC refrigerant system once it has been sufficiently churned up. Air bubbles will be evident if there are leaks in your system. These places can then be marked so that an HVAC technician knows exactly where patches are needed.
Read also: Does Freon Leak When AC is Off?
Checking on Oil Leaks
The second way is to check on any oil leaks. When your air conditioner has a refrigerant leak, oil can come out as well. Because of its thick, dark nature, this substance is quite easy to spot. It also has a strong odor that may be detected even from a long distance. Start feeling around different AC components if you suspect a leak in your system.
Wear protective gloves when executing this step to avoid getting your hands soiled or being cut on a sharp item. Check your gloves for visual evidence of grease as you feel around different components. If a particular location produces a lot, it’s likely that there’s a leak that needs to be fixed right away.
You can also use cloth if you don’t have any protective gloves. Make sure it’s light-colored so you can see if there’s any oil on it.
Read also: How to Check the Freon in a Home Air Conditioner
To ensure efficient cooling of your home, it’s important to regularly check the AC unit for any leaks in the evaporator coils and find and repair any leaks as soon as possible.
Nitrogen Leak Detector
The nitrogen leak detector test is one of the most widely used methods because it gives precise results. First, you’ll need to get rid of any existing Freon in your system. The nitrogen is then fed back into your home’s air conditioning system. Because nitrogen is maintained at a higher pressure than refrigerant, leaks will produce loud noises.
Then it’s just a matter of listening for these audible sounds and ticking off these spots. Whether you use pressure gauges to monitor the nitrogen, you’ll be able to see if there are any leaks. If these gauges reveal considerable pressure changes, you know there’s a leak.
Electronic Leak Detector
You can also use an electrical device to detect leaks, which is a simple and effective way. You can use it to look for refrigeration components outside of your home. This electrical device will sound an immediately distinguishable warning when a leak is detected.
The sole drawback is that leaks can only be detected in certain regions where the electronic leak detector comes into contact with refrigerant components. These electronic leak detecting gadgets can be expensive, and you’ll need to go through some training to understand how to use them properly.
Another issue to consider is if the electronic detector you’re employing is compatible with the refrigerant you’re utilizing. Otherwise, when the detector detects a leak, it will not sound an alarm.
Dye Leak Detector
A dye test is one of the more effective ways to check for a refrigerant leak in your air conditioning system. Fluorescent dye is injected into your HVAC system during this procedure. The dye will pour through any leaks that exist after it has had enough time to circulate.
Then, using a detection lamp, scan the HVAC system to find where the dye has escaped. This entire procedure should take no more than a few minutes, although it does necessitate the purchase of specific equipment.
Those recommended methods on how to check for Freon leaks in a home AC also can be used to find a Freon leak in a refrigerator. After you are able to locate leaks, take the required steps to patch them. Just remember to be super careful when repairing the leaks.
