How To Check The Freon In A Home Air Conditioner

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To be efficient an air conditioning unit needs Freon so please read this if you want to know how to check the Freon in a home air conditioner without calling an AC technician.

If your AC unit doesn’t cool down your house as it used to the problem may be because of low Freon level.

Bare with me and you will learn how to check the AC for yourself before you call the AC technician. This can help you save money.

how to check the freon in a home air conditioner

How to check the Freon in a home air conditioner

Let me show you how to check the Freon in a home air conditioner without gauges or any special equipment. This is useful because you can have a hint if the issues with the air conditioning are because of the Freon level or something else.

To check the Freon you need to go outside where your central unit is installed. This unit has the compressor installed inside and usually makes some noise when running. If the outside unit is installed at height, above your reach while sitting on the ground you will need a ladder or something to step on. If you’re not comfortable stepping on the ladder you better call a trained technician to do the Freon check.

Now that you at the outside unit, locate the two copper pipes going inside your compressor unit. Usually the larger line has insulation on it. This is the line transporting the cold Freon to your house. if this line is sweating and it’s cold at touch this is a good hint that your system has enough Freon.

To get a little bit more of a professional assessment let me show you how to check the Freon in a home air conditioner measuring the temperature of the larger copper line while the AC unit is running. If this line has a temperature around 45 degrees Fahrenheit this is also a good indication that the AC system has enough Freon. To measure the temperature you need either an infrared thermometer or a thermocouple multimeter.

In case the return pipe is cold enough you need to check the insulation. If the inside unit is far away and the insulation is broken the Freon might worm up on the way. Check if the insulation is well attached to the return pipe and it’s not ripped off.

Now that you know how to check the Freon in a home air conditioner you might look for other signs which might help you troubleshoot your air conditioning unit.

If you see snow or frost buildup on the return pipe it’s an indication that you have a leakage of Freon. Also if you hear hissing or even bubbling there is a strong indication that your air conditioner loses refrigerant. You can find leaks easily just by looking around connectors, hoses and tubes.

If there is no indication of leakage or missing Freon your air conditioning might have other issues. The most common is the lint buildup on the heat exchanger and clogged filters.

In conclusion, if you how to check the Freon in a home air conditioner it can save you from spending money unwise but you should look more to find the cause of getting low on Freon, before you call the AC technician. Also if the technician tells you that you need to refill with Freon but doesn’t look for the leak before, tell him to leave.

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