Handling an A/C refrigerant fluid Leak in Your Cincinnati Home

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A refrigerant fluid (refrigerant) leak, while not exceptionally common, is still a very real possible cause of the need for air conditioner repair in Cincinnati. This is due in part to our urban environment and hot, humid summers, which pose a number of threats to an air conditioner.

Why refrigerant fluid Leaks Happen

If the joints or valves in your A/C’s copper refrigerant lines aren’t sealed thoroughly during installation, or they came from the factory damaged or poorly welded, refrigerant fluid will slowly seep out. You’ll start to notice a decline in cooling performance within one to five years after installation.

Formic acid, which naturally occurs in the soil, can cause pinhole leaks and cracks in refrigerant lines. These tend to worsen over time.

In our densely populated urban area, theft attempts are another potential cause of leaks. While trying to steal the valuable copper in your system, scrap metal thieves damage the refrigerant lines. The resulting leak usually causes a sudden drop in cooling performance.

How Your Technician Can Stop the Leak

A refrigerant leak does more than cut your system’s cooling capacity. refrigerant fluid is toxic, so if you suspect a leak, call a technician immediately. Your technician will bring an electronic refrigerant fluid leak detector that can be moved over the parts of your system and will produce a signal when it senses refrigerant fluid.

Once found, the leak can usually be repaired. This is often the most cost-effective option for systems less than 10 years old that still have most of their refrigerant fluid. Repairs usually involve soldering damaged copper tubing or replacing valves. If a coil is leaking, however, the component may need to be replaced.

Once the leak is stopped, replacement refrigerant fluid will be added. Alternatively, you could replace the whole air conditioning system while it’s still under warranty.

If all the refrigerant fluid has leaked out or the compressor or other components have failed, there’s only a small chance a patch will work. You’re most likely better off replacing the system.

For reliable air conditioner repair in Cincinnati, contact us at Apollo Home Heating, Cooling and Plumbing in the Greater Cincinnati area.

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"We scheduled an estimate AND a tune-up. We knew something was wrong with our furnace, but hoped we could make it through the rest of the season. Upon telling Bill what our furnace was doing, he warned us immediately what the possible outcome was going to be; a cracked heat exchanger. He watched the flames roll backward, tested carbon monoxide levels, which were so high they meter’s last reading was 5,600 before saying “high”. He immediately shut it down, tagged it, and explained that with levels that high and children in our home he wanted off right away. He continued his inspection and showed us via a camera that not only was it cracked in multiple places, but had holes all over it. He gave us a few options for repairing it; his knowledge as well as genuine concern was beneficial and refreshing. Luckily we also scheduled an estimator, Micah, to come too and we were able to get costs between repairing and replacing (with several options). We decided to replace with a much higher efficiency furnace and one sized properly to our home. Hands down, not only did they both provide us great service and knowledge, but without sounding dramatic, they may have saved our lives. This was our first time calling Apollo, but it won’t be our last."
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