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If the AC unit at your Prescott home has been less than effective this summer, you may have been told that it just needs a simple “recharge” of refrigerant. How often does this need to be done? The answer is never. Prescott Air Conditioning explains why.

How it works 
An air conditioning unit does not use up refrigerant the way a car uses gas. The refrigerant liquid moves through a closed loop. Through a series of pressure changes, it transfers heat from one place (inside) to another place (outside). Since it’s just moving around, the only reason you would be low on refrigerant is because you have a leak.

How it should be diagnosed A technician should do a full inspection of the system before even testing the amount of refrigerant in the coils. If there are other problems in the system, they could affect the accuracy of the measuring tool.

Your options 
Once the technician has determined that a leak is present, you have several possible courses of action.

1. If you’ve never had to recharge the unit before, then it may be a slow leak. In this case, the cost of replacing the refrigerant every few years may be more cost effective than finding and fixing the leak. Even if you decide to take this route, ask the technician to put in a UV dye that will help them find the leak in the future should you choose to fix it then.
2. If you are planning on replacing the unit within the next year, it’s probably better to just recharge the unit for now.
3. Find and fix the leak, then refill the system and test it for any other leaks.
4. Depending on the age of your system, it might actually be more cost effective to just replace the entire system.

It’s important to use an air conditioning repair service that will give you all of your options and not just choose the easiest option for them. Prescott Air Conditioning will make sure you understand what we are doing every step of the way. We will help you make the best decision for the air conditioner in your Prescott home, and for your wallet. Give us a call at 928-308-1254 to schedule an HVAC inspection.