It’s often we’re asked, “Can’t you just top off my freon?”
Unfortunately (and to a degree, fortunately), those days are long gone.
The refrigerants commonly used to cool your home and automobile often contain hydrochlorofluorocarbons which damage the ozone layer.
Over the years, safer options have become available, but the federal government put restrictions and guidelines in place to limit these products to certified professionals.
This certification (called a 609) allows a repair shop or hvac technician to purchase the required refrigerants to service these systems.
As such, the refrigerants used to cool your vehicle and home have not only become exponentially more expensive, but the systems they pressurize have become smaller and more efficient.
Now some may say this was done to ensure consumers would no longer just "top off" the system. Others would say it's simply a more efficient system - either way, attempting to "top off" your refrigerant (aka freon) is now so expensive it's required that we locate the leaks BEFORE topping the system off.
This saves the consumer money and helps our environment as well.
In our facility we have a huge selection of tooling and testing equipment that helps us find even the smallest leaks that are often overlooked.
Here's some important basics about your A/C system:
- Your system doesn't naturally lose refrigerant, so if it's not working then something is wrong.
- Never use the can provided from part stores to "top off" the system, as they often contain leak sealers which can do thousands in damage.
- There's a number of electrical components that are often the cause of a poor cooling A/C system.
- The refrigerant used in your car is measured by weight, not by pressure! While we do use pressure readings, the amount installed in your car is based on the weight. Using part store cans to top off the system can damage or put your system in a state of imbalance.
When the heat is on and the A/C isn't, stop in and see our 609-certified technicians for some guaranteed cool air.
