What a low charge looks like from the yard
An air conditioner runs on a sealed loop. The refrigerant inside it on install day is meant to be the same refrigerant inside it a decade later, so a system that comes up short has a hole somewhere. Homeowners rarely spot the hole itself. They see what it causes: frost on the fatter copper line at the outdoor unit, ice on the indoor coil, warm air at the registers, and a system that runs straight through the afternoon without ever reaching the thermostat setting.
Some leaks leave other clues. An oily smudge on a fitting or valve, since refrigerant carries compressor oil out with it as it escapes. A faint hiss near the air handler or the condenser. Water dripping from the indoor unit as frost melts off a coil that should never have frozen. A power bill that climbs while the house gets less comfortable.
If the lines are iced over, set the system to fan only and let everything thaw before the visit.
Why a top-off is no repair
Adding refrigerant to a leaking system brings the cooling back for a while. Then the charge bleeds out again, the coil freezes again, and the compressor spends weeks laboring on a short charge. Paying for refrigerant every few weeks costs more than finding the leak once, and leaks tend to grow.
- Pressures and line temperatures read before anything is added
- Electronic detector worked along coils, valves and joints
- Bubble solution brushed on suspects to confirm the spot
- Nitrogen pressure test when the leak keeps hiding
- Charge weighed in after the repair, never guessed
More on this work lives on the refrigerant leak repair page. Pictures of finished jobs are in the gallery.
Tracking down the hole without guessing
Read the system first
Gauges on the service valves show suction and discharge pressure, and temperature readings on the lines show whether the charge is truly low or something else is imitating it. A dirty coil, a smothered filter or a failing blower can freeze a coil that holds a full charge, and treating those as a leak wastes your money.
Ice on the suction line means low refrigerant or low airflow, and only measurement says which.
Sniff, then bubble
An electronic leak detector moves slowly along the evaporator coil, the service valves, the brazed joints and the line set. When it alarms, soapy solution brushed onto that spot confirms the exact pinhole, because detectors also react to cleaning products and other vapors around a house.
Pressure test what the detector misses
Small leaks hide. The refrigerant gets recovered, the system is filled with dry nitrogen at test pressure, and the gauges are watched for any drop. A coil or a stretch of line can be isolated to narrow the search. Nitrogen is inert and inexpensive, so it can sit long enough to expose a slow leak.
Four more Basinger services
- Ductless mini-split installation
Cooling for rooms off the main ducts.
- Heat pump repair
Heating and cooling faults, both modes tested.
- Emergency AC repair
A real person on the line overnight.
- AC replacement
Sized by load calculation, priced in options.
There is more about the area on the Basinger page, and each town we reach appears under service areas.
Schedule ServiceWhere leaks usually turn up
The indoor evaporator coil is the most common source. Its thin tubing sits in damp air year round, and corrosion slowly opens tiny pinholes. Service valves on the outdoor unit can leak at their caps and cores. On mini-splits, the flare fittings at the indoor head and the outdoor unit are the first suspects, especially where the flares were made without a torque wrench.
Line sets leak where they rub: through a wall opening with no sleeve, over the sharp edge of a slab, or under a cabinet panel vibrating against copper. Out on ranch property, a line nicked by a mower, a string trimmer or curious livestock gets checked from one end to the other.
Manufactured homes add one more hiding place. The line set can run beneath the floor behind the skirting, resting on a pier or hanging from a strap, where it wears against metal for years without anyone seeing it. A flashlight and a crawl underneath usually settle that question quickly.
Refrigerant type changes the math
Many systems installed before 2010 run on R-22, which is no longer manufactured, so the supply that remains is scarce. Newer equipment uses R-410A or one of the replacement blends. The type decides what a recharge costs and how much sense it makes to keep feeding an aging system.
Repairs that hold
A leak at a valve core or a flare is often a simple fix. A rubbed-through line can be cut out and brazed. Every repair ends the same way: a nitrogen hold, a deep vacuum, and a charge weighed in to the manufacturer’s figures instead of topped off by feel.
Patch the coil or put in a new one
When the leak sits in the evaporator coil itself, the decision gets harder. Some coil leaks can be brazed if they are at a joint that can be reached. Pinholes scattered through the tubing usually mean the coil is failing everywhere, and patching one spot just moves the problem to the next. In that case a new coil is the real repair.
On an older system, a coil replacement can cost enough that a whole new system deserves a look, especially on R-22 equipment. Brian puts both choices in front of you with prices, explains what each buys in years and in operating cost, and points you to the cheaper route when it is the smarter money. Nothing gets added to the bill once you have agreed to it.
If the coil is sound and the leak was a fitting, you hear that too, and the conversation about new equipment never comes up.
One person accountable
The person who finds the leak owns the company, brings twenty years of experience, and stands behind the work with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If the cooling fades again, you dial the same number and reach the same crew.
Before the visit, describe what you are seeing: where the ice forms, how long the system runs, and whether anyone has added refrigerant before.
Refrigerant questions people ask first
Your question not here? 561-339-5729 rings through around the clock, and the answer comes from someone who works on these systems every day.
Does refrigerant need to be refilled every year?
No. Refrigerant circulates in a sealed loop and is never consumed. A system that needs more is leaking somewhere. A yearly top-off is the sign of an unrepaired leak, and that leak usually grows while the compressor works harder on a short charge.
Why is the copper line at my outdoor unit covered in ice?
Low refrigerant drops the pressure in the suction line until it runs below freezing. Weak airflow from a clogged filter or a frozen indoor coil can do the same thing. Switch the system to fan only, let the ice melt, and have both the charge and the airflow measured.
How do you find a leak you cannot see?
Pressures first, then an electronic detector along the coil, valves and fittings, with bubble solution to pin down the spot. When the leak stays hidden, the system is filled with nitrogen and watched for a pressure drop, one section at a time, until the leak shows itself.
Can a leaking evaporator coil be repaired?
Sometimes. A leak at a reachable joint can be brazed. Several pinholes from corrosion usually mean the whole coil is wearing out, and replacing it is the lasting fix. You see the price of each option along with an honest read on how long a patch would likely hold.
Do mini-splits leak refrigerant too?
Yes, and the flare fittings at each end of the line set are the usual spot. A flare that was overtightened or left loose can seep for months before anyone notices. Remaking the flare correctly, then pressure testing and recharging by weight, usually solves it for good.
Is it safe to keep running a system that is low on refrigerant?
Not for long. A short charge makes the compressor run hot, and a frozen coil can drip water into the ceiling or overflow the air handler pan. Turn the cooling off or switch to fan only until the leak is found, especially when the lines are iced.
Fix the leak once
Tell Brian where the ice shows up, how long it has been going on, and whether refrigerant was added before. The leak search and the repair both come with a straight price ahead of any work.
Send Brian What You Saw