639. STOP Topping Off Your AC Refrigerant — Here’s Why It’s a Waste of Money

Home and Life Comfort with Derek Cole. Hey, y', all, it's Derek Cole. Welcome back to the Home and Life Comfort podcast where we talk all things heating, cooling and keeping your home comfortable year round. Today I want to hit on something I see way too often this time of year, and that's homeowners calling us, asking for refrigerant. Top off. Can I get Freon? It's like part of a normal occurrence. Can I get Freon? It's part of a normal tune up. Let me be blunt with you right now, by the way, it's no fluff here, right? I can be honest. We're not selling ice cream, right? If your AC system needs refrigerant every year, something is wrong. That's not routine maintenance, that's a leak. And if someone is just adding more refrigerant without fixing the problem, they're not doing you any favors. In fact, in fact, they're probably costing you more in the long run. So today we're breaking down a couple things. One, what refrigerant actually does. Two, why should it be? Why shouldn't it be disappearing? Why your refrigerant shouldn't be disappeared. Three, what causes refrigerant leaks. Four, the risk of topping off every year. And five, the right way to fix it. So let's get into it. What is refrigerant? Refrigerant is the working. We can call it juice. Juice that runs through your air conditioning system. It's what absorbs the heat from inside your home and transfers it outside. It absorbs the heat inside, transfers the outside where it's not really worried about. Right. It changes states from liquid to gas and back again as sealed loop. Sealed loop. That's how your system cools air effectively. Now, the key part, sealed loop is not supposed to escape. You shouldn't need add refrigerant unless there's a leak. I talk about your body and the blood. Your body is a sealed system. Your arm shouldn't be bleeding out. Unless if it's a leak, fix the leak. You don't go to Dr. Reviewer and say, hey, I need that refill blood, right? That makes no sense. So same thing with your system. So when folks ask, can you just top off my Freon? It's like asking to refill a tire that keeps going flat. You're treating the symptom, not the cause. You're treating the symptom, not the cause. So why are you losing refrigerant? There are a few common reasons why refrigerant might be leaking. First, of all, it could be aging of illness. I mean, like coals, your joints are worn down over time. I mean, your cooling coals kind of relate to your joints. I mean, they wear down over time. Improper installation, systems that were never sealed right in the first place, vibration or corrosion, especially on outdoor units exposed to the elements, and even accidental damage from the weed whackers, the pets, the poor maintenance. I mean, how many folks turn around their outdoor units and, you know, something could be damaged if you get too close. But once that lease starts, you'll likely see a weak cooling performance, higher energy bills. You could see ice on the refrigerant lines, or even the coal unit could be iced over. You heard that before. Probably ice over. My system is frozen. Or even a total system failure over time. And guess what? Adding refrigerant without fixing that leak, you're just delaying the inevitable and paying for it twice the real cost of topping off. Now, let's talk dollars and cents. Some techs will come out, throw in a pound or two refrigerant, collect the service fee, and leave home. Cools down for a little while. You're like, oh, it's great. It works. But a few weeks or months later or season later, boom. The same problem. Another bill, another hot house. And in its worst, you're using old refrigerants like R22, which was phased out in 2020. That stuff is rare and expensive. Even R410A, the current refrigerant in a lot of systems that is being phased down because of its environmental impact. Every year, refrigerant prices go up, especially as supplies get tighter. Right? Supply and demand. So continuing to leak and refill, that's more money straight down the drain. But it's not just about cost. It's about your system's health. Low refrigerant makes your system work harder, overheat, and cause irreversible damage to the compressor. It's kind of like you keep running low on blood in your body, right? Your body's not going to perform the way it should because it's low blood. And you keep doing that, you won't cause damage, irreversible damage to your heart, or in this case, the heart of your system, which is the compressor. That's one of the most expensive parts to replace. So great, Derek. I hear it. I get it. Boom. I'm good. What did I do? Well, here's what I recommend, plain and simple. First of all, get a proper leak check. If your system is low, we'll use a leak detection device or even nitrogen to find out where the problem is. In some cases it might be a simple fix like tighten the connection in or when the seals might not be catching correctly. In others it could be corrosion in the coal and that coal might need to be replaced. Number two Fix the root cause. No more band aids. Once we fix the leak, we fix it. That might mean coal replacement, fixing the lancet, or even sealing some of the things that have not been sealed. But we're going to do it with approved methods. 3. Consider the system age. If your system is over 10 or 12 years old and it's leaking refrigerant, it might make more financial sense to replace it. Newer systems are more efficient, come with longer warranties, and use modern refrigerants that are better for the environment and better for your budget. And number four, Schedule annual maintenance. A proper tune up catches potential problems before they become major repairs. We check pressures, inspect components, inspector and ensure your system is running at peak performance. Now I know how tempting it is to go with the quick fix, right? Especially in the heat of the summer is very tempting to go with the quick fix. But trust me, topping off refrigerant every year is like patching a sinking ship. Okay, you patch it with duct tape. It'll hold for a little bit, for a moment, but eventually you're going under. At Simmons one hour, we just don't add refrigerant and run. We find the issue, fix the issue and give it long term peace of mind. We believe in fixing the system, not band aid. Repairs make sense. That's how we do business. That's how we serve this area for over 70 years. So if your AC isn't cooling like it should, don't settle for a temporary patch. Give us a call or go to Simmons one hour comm. We'll make it right the first time. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Home and Life Comfort podcast. Make sure to follow or favor the show. If you found this helpful, send it to a neighbor or friend who's dealing with this same issue. Until next time, stay cool, take care of your comfort, your friend and home and energy savings. Derek Cole Home and Life Comfort with Derek Cole.