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My AC Guy Says I’m Low on Refrigerant. Where Did It Go?

Your AC guy says your system is low on refrigerant.

Okay.

The next question should be:

Why?

Your air conditioner doesn’t normally consume refrigerant.

It’s not gasoline. It doesn’t get “used up” every summer.

The refrigerant circulates through a sealed system over and over again.

So if the system actually contains less refrigerant than it should, there are generally two possibilities:

It leaked out.

Or:

The correct amount was never in there to begin with.

How Do We Know It’s Actually Low?

We don’t determine refrigerant charge from one pressure reading.

We look at the whole system.

Depending on the equipment, that can include:

  • superheat
  • subcooling
  • suction and liquid pressures
  • indoor and outdoor temperatures
  • airflow
  • manufacturer charging specifications

Poor airflow and other problems can sometimes create refrigeration readings that look strange too.

So before adding refrigerant, we’d like to establish that the system is actually undercharged.

If It Is Low, Should We Look for a Leak?

Yes.

Especially if the system used to operate correctly and is now significantly low.

The EPA itself recommends that homeowners ask technicians to locate and repair refrigerant leaks rather than repeatedly “topping off” leaking systems.

The leak could be in the evaporator coil.

Condenser coil.

Refrigerant lines.

A fitting.

A service valve.

Some leaks are obvious.

Others can turn into a seven-story Monday-afternoon adventure.

Ask us how we know.

What Should You Ask?

If you’re told your AC is low on refrigerant, ask:

“How low is it, and do you know why?”

If somebody added refrigerant last summer…

and now you need refrigerant again…

that’s a pretty good reason to start asking where it’s going.

The Klein Answer

Your AC can absolutely be low on refrigerant.

But refrigerant doesn’t simply disappear because the system got older.

If the charge is low, we want to know whether it was improperly charged previously or whether the system is leaking.

Adding refrigerant may get a leaking AC cooling again.

It doesn’t fix the leak.

Find out why it’s low before “needs refrigerant” becomes an annual subscription.