You should not need to regularly add refrigerant to your system. Air conditioning systems do not use up refrigerant like a car uses gas. If your system is low on refrigerant it means that it has leaked out or was not charged correctly to begin with.

There should be a label on your air conditioner close to the model number.

R-22 is a refrigerant that was used in most residential air conditioning units prior to 2010.  It has been determined that R-22 depletes the ozone layer and so it has been scheduled by the EPA to be phased out.  On January 1, 2010 manufacturers were banned from manufacturing equipment containing R-22. R-22 is still produced to service existing equipment, but is tightly controlled by the EPA. On January 1, 2020 chemical manufacturers will no longer be able to produce R-22 to service existing air conditioners.

“Freon” is the brand name of a refrigerant. It is often used generically just like “Kleenex” is often used to refer to any brand of tissue.

This can depend on the age of your system, the refrigerant it uses and the size of refrigerant lines required for the new air conditioner.

It depends on individual circumstances. It can be as simple as replacing the outside unit, or could require replacement of the indoor coil and furnace as well.

Your air conditioner is a personal preference and an investment, so the final decision is yours concerning repairing or replacing your system. Our job is to give you detailed, honest information about the costs and benefits of your various options. At Mark Hill Heating & Air, we take this part of our job very seriously. Whatever option you choose, we want to be your heat and air service provider for life. We’ll give you our expert opinion and recommendations based on our decades of experience. But, you’ll experience no sales pressure from us. Instead, we will ensure you are educated in your decision.

There are many reasons homeowners might decide to replace an air conditioner. The most common reason is that they decide a new system will be more cost effective than repair. Homeowners might also replace an air conditioner if they want to increase efficiency, want a more comfortable system, want a quieter system or want a more reliable system.

A compressor is a major component of your air conditioning system, located inside the condenser. It moves the refrigerant through the system.

The outside air conditioning unit is often referred to as a condenser, which is made up of coils and a fan. This unit rejects the heat that is brought by the refrigerant from the inside of the house.

An evaporator coil is part of the cooling system. It is attached to the furnace cabinet and will often look like part of the furnace. The evaporator coil is attached to the air conditioner by copper refrigerant lines. The refrigerant cools the fins of the evaporator coil, which cools the air as it passes through the coil and into your duct system.

You are not required by law to repair it. But, we always recommend finding the leak and making the repair. Your system will not be running efficiently if it is undercharged. An undercharged system could also damage your equipment and you will have the continuing cost of adding refrigerant.

Replacing only the AC portion of your system can be an option, but if the indoor coil is involved or your furnace is old, it can often be more cost effective to replace your whole system.

It is possible your indoor coil is frozen, blocking airflow to your vents. A common cause of this is dirty filters. You could also have a malfunctioning blower motor or collapsed ductwork. All of which should be inspected by an HVAC professional.