What is Freon and why is it so important for your AC Unit

An efficient AC unit that works perfectly is a requirement for most of us throughout the hot summer months. If you want a cool home to walk into when it’s hot and steamy outside, keeping your air conditioner’s Freon level where it should be – without any leaks – is crucial. It’s the lifeblood of your air conditioner. 

3 Important Reasons to keep Freon used in your Air Conditioning at its Proper Level:

• It gets rid of your AC unit's internal heat
• It discharges cool air from your AC system
• It keeps your AC unit efficiently running

4 Ways to find out if your Air Conditioning Freon is Leaking

Although there could be many reasons why your AC isn’t working properly, many times it will be that your air conditioner’s Freon level is low due to a leak. Without the correct amount of refrigerant, your AC unit simply won’t cool your home as it should. Here are 4 clues that your AC system has a Freon leak:

• If your Freon is low, you will notice that your monthly energy bill is higher than usual. This is due to the fact that the AC unit is working extra hard to cool your home, without any luck. 
• You hear a bubbling or hissing sound. This is the sound that comes from the Freon leaking as it escapes from the refrigerant line. 
• If you’re outside and you notice that your AC unit has an ice build-up around it, that’s another sign that your Freon is leaking. This occurs when the evaporator coil gets too cold and causes the Freon to flow back, and the surrounding moisture causes it to freeze.
• Warm air blowing from your vents. A low Freon level means that your AC isn’t absorbing the heat from your home, so instead of blowing cool air, it will be warm. 

So now the question goes from “what’s wrong” to “how can we fix this?” 

Here are three things you should do if you suspect a Freon leak: 

• Call an experienced professional to perform a diagnostics test to find out where the leak is occurring. 
• Once the leak is found, it will have to be sealed by the HVAC technician.
• Refrigerant will have to be added to restore the Freon level to where it was before the leak occurred. 

An important fact to be aware of: simply adding Freon isn’t a sound, long-term solution. The leak needs to be found and sealed or you’ll find yourself right back in the same situation in the not too distant future.  

How much does Freon cost?

If you do have to add Freon, you’re probably now thinking it isn’t a big deal. It’s like buying some gallons of gas, right?  Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. In fact, it’s pretty expensive, but it’s still going to cost a lot less than having to replace your entire AC system. Freon is bought in units by the pound. Most air conditioning units hold around 4-6 lbs. of Freon. Today’s typical refrigerant type that most AC units use costs anywhere from $50-$90 per pound. R-22 Freon is much more expensive - anywhere from $135-$175 plus per lb. 

What is R-22 Freon, why is it so expensive and why is it being phased out?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that R-22 has been harmful to the earth’s ozone layer and a nationwide R-22 refrigerant phase out was implemented. Because of its ozone depletion characteristic, production of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units that use R-22 has been stopped. In addition, the EPA requires that the production of the refrigerant itself ends by the year 2020. Due to the limited production, R-22 costs more than other refrigerants. 

Worry Free Long Island Air Conditioning, Heating, and Water Heater Service

It’s important to keep the major systems in your home, like your AC, heater, and water heater, working the way they should.  For routine maintenance and emergency repairs, you can rely on the experienced professionals at PSEG Worry Free Long Island to take care of any issues. We’re proud to be working with HomeServe, a premier, nationwide provider of home emergency repair programs, to offer repair and installation services of central air conditioning, natural gas heating, and water heaters to Long Island homeowners. Our dedicated, experienced professionals have the expertise necessary to provide the important HVAC services your home needs. With a great attitude, our team provides prompt and courteous service, skilled technicians, and high-quality repair and installation services for all our heating, cooling, and water heater customers.

If an unexpected issue arises, we have a 24/7 emergency repair hotline to help with any problems that occur with any of your systems. We understand how crucial these systems are to your overall home comfort, and we’re standing by to quickly provide a quality repair solution and ensure that your HVAC equipment is running properly. You can count on Worry Free Long Island for all of your heating and cooling repair, replacement, installation and maintenance needs. We proudly service the residents of Farmingdale, Hicksville, Commack, and throughout Long Island.

If you are in need of our services or need more information, feel free to call us at 866-608-8020.