Licensed & Insured Technicians
Coolant Refill & Freon Leaks
Detect the Leak. Fix It Permanently. Recharge Correctly.
Expert electronic leak detection, copper line sealing, and precise refrigerant recharging to restore full cooling power.
Expert Coolant Refill & Freon Leaks — What You Need to Know
Many homeowners assume that topping off refrigerant is routine maintenance — it isn't. Air conditioners are sealed systems. If your unit is low on refrigerant, it has a leak that must be found and repaired. Simply adding Freon without fixing the leak is not only a waste of money, it is also a violation of EPA regulations. Our technicians handle the complete repair process from leak detection to final recharge.
How We Find Refrigerant Leaks
We use a combination of methods to locate leaks with pinpoint accuracy. Electronic refrigerant detectors can identify leaks as small as 0.1 oz per year. For stubborn leaks in evaporator coils or brazed copper joints, we introduce UV dye into the system — a UV light then illuminates exactly where the refrigerant is escaping. Once located, we repair the breach by brazing the copper line or, if the evaporator coil is too corroded, recommending a coil replacement.
The Correct Way to Recharge
After sealing the leak, we pull a deep vacuum on the refrigerant circuit — typically holding for 30 minutes or more — to remove all moisture and non-condensables. Moisture in a refrigerant system causes acid formation that destroys the compressor. Only after a successful vacuum hold do we recharge the system with the correct refrigerant (R-410A for most modern systems, or R-22 for older units) by weight, to the exact ounce specified by the manufacturer.
Our Coolant Refill & Freon Leaks Process
We pressurize the system with nitrogen and check for pressure drops that confirm a leak.
Electronic sniffer and UV dye methods pinpoint the exact location of the breach.
We braze the leak, replace any damaged components, and pull a deep vacuum on the system.
We recharge the system by weight to factory specifications and verify operating pressures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most common questions we hear from homeowners.
Signs of low refrigerant: warm or lukewarm air from the vents despite the AC running, ice on the copper refrigerant lines near the air handler, a hissing or bubbling sound near the lines, higher-than-normal electric bills, and the system running constantly without reaching setpoint. If you see any of these, don't add refrigerant yourself — the leak must be found and repaired first.
Under EPA Section 608 regulations, technicians must make a good-faith effort to repair leaks before or immediately after recharging. Knowingly venting refrigerant is also illegal. More practically, topping off without a leak repair means the refrigerant escapes again within weeks — it's an expensive and temporary non-fix.
Total cost depends on the leak's location and severity. A simple Schrader valve fix plus recharge runs $250–$400. A brazed copper line repair runs $400–$700. A corroded evaporator coil needing full replacement ranges from $600–$1,500 depending on coil type. We provide a full written quote after leak detection before adding any refrigerant.
Since 2018, purchasing R-410A in quantities over two pounds requires an EPA Section 608 certification. It is illegal for uncertified individuals to purchase or handle these refrigerants. Even with refrigerant, recharging by pressure (as DIY guides suggest) rather than by weight causes improper charge levels that destroy the compressor.
Systems made after 2010 use R-410A (Puron). Systems made before 2010 likely use R-22 (Freon), phased out of U.S. production in January 2020. R-22 from reclaimed sources costs $50–$80/lb vs. $10–$20/lb for R-410A. A significant R-22 leak often makes a full system upgrade the more economical choice. New systems from 2025+ are transitioning to R-454B.