Upon arrival to homes and businesses, when technicians engage in the initial consultation as to what’s been going on with the system, we regularly hear comments like, "Can you be sure and top it off with freon" … or "I called because I wanted to have you give it a shot of freon it’s not running as cool as it should".  The common misconception seems to be that Freon in an HVAC system dissipates much like the oil in a car does.  I must say, that 18 years ago before entering the HVAC industry I too believed that every so often an air conditioner needed the freon to be filled as if when it was all used up the unit would no longer blow cold air. And I know it doesn’t help the misconception when we receive fliers or cold calls from companies telling you it’s time you had your Freon changed or replaced, or better yet those signs in the gas station for your automobile saying, "Freon Top Off Special!"

I went on a service call for a new customer a year and a half ago who explained they thought there system was low on Freon, and the guy who had come out for the last 6 years would charge them $95 to refill the unit ($570.00 Total).  The lady was right it was low on freon, and it was because there were no service port caps on the unit and the schraeder core was slightly loose.  All in all about a $75 repair with materials and labor which included a general inspection of the complete system for additional leaks.  We did her tune up again this year, and she was beside herself when we told her this year the freon level was fine.  Of course all freon leaks are not as simple of a repair as this one was.

In any case, I’m here to set the record straight.  The true fact is this – "If your Air Conditioning or Heating system needs Freon – there is a 98% chance you’ve got a problem that needs to be addressed!"  Here’s why. Freon does not dissipate or get used up like gasoline.  A unit that is 20 years old, unless it’s been opened or had a leak, will still have the same amount of Freon from the day it was installed.  Therefore, a system that is low on Freon is almost guaranteed to have a leak.  Leaks can be found and repaired.  Often times it’s just a loose service port cap or a minor repair, however there is certainly no need to keep paying every so often to have Freon added to your system (especially these days when Freon costs have gone through the roof with all the new laws affecting the environment). 

Long and short the main point here is to know that you have options when you hear that your system is low on freon.  You can, and many times it’s cheaper in the long run, to have the leak found and repaired as opposed to paying your yearly freon fees.