freon leak on ac unit

If you’re about to go to bed and want to avoid nightmares, you might want to put off reading this until morning. If you’re about to get in the car, please read on. While Black Death is not the same as the deadly plague during the 14th century, a car A/C system experiencing Black Death will be infected like the plague. Black Death starts out inside the compressor after refrigerant breaks down. Since refrigerant acts as a working fluid much like how motor oil is the fluid which provides lubrication to protect the engine, a refrigerant breakdown will result in ugly wear, starting in the compressor. From there, the sharp and grimy metal particles created during compressor breakdown can then travel through the rest of your A/C system, wreaking havoc on the entire system. Before you know it, all cold air, and airflow for that matter, will be long gone. Cue the A/C grim reaper. The best protection from Black Death is an A/C Performance Check. We feel your pain and discomfort caused by weak airflow.

The sweat alone is enough to drive any of us crazy. However, there are a lot of factors at play. If you notice reduced airflow early on –rather than later– take the right step and have it looked at before other fatal A/C system damage can occur. Whatever’s the cause of your airflow problems, we have the answer. Schedule an A/C Performance Check. Typically, no, but some vehicles have Driver Information Centers (DIC) that may display the status of many vehicle systems. Refer to your Owner’s Manual for more information. There are several reasons an A/C system can lose its cool. Bring your ride to us as soon as you start noticing this symptom, it could mean the difference between needing a small repair, or worse, a large one. Here’s what can cause your cold air to lose its cool. Leaks can be devastating. When an A/C system develops a leak, you have what’s called an “open system.” If you or your technician discovers the leak early, your repair will be less expensive.

Unfortunately, if a leak has been affecting your cold air for a while, moisture will most likely have entered your A/C system and may have damaged other vital and expensive parts. Well, like many complicated stories, there’s never one simple answer. A/C systems are a fickle breed. Your best bet is to have us inspect your system for any of the following listed symptoms.
haier ac unit blowing water Sounds like you have an odorific problem on your hands.
jual ac portable lampungThere are a few issues that may be causing this smell.
fujitsu air conditioning heating units While we’re no C.S.I. unit, the ways to detect an A/C system leak are not far off from an episode of the ever popular investigation show.Rubber seals and hoses can also lose their elasticity over time and breakdown allowing Freon to escape and moisture to enter your vehicle’s A/C system.

Moisture is the kiss of death for your A/C system, mixing with refrigerant and creating a system destroying corrosive acid. Quick fact: If moisture is present, it could damage your accumulator, receiver or drier. Remember, these devices are responsible for removing moisture from the A/C system and will eventually stop functioning once they are exposed to an open system (leak or crack).Your car’s air conditioner is responsible for keeping the interior cool and comfortable on hot days. However, in order to do that, you need the right level of refrigerant in the system. If your refrigerant is low, the air conditioner may blow warm or hot air. A special switch is designed to sense when there isn’t enough pressure (or when pressure is too high) and disengage the AC compressor clutch, which operates the compressor to pressurize the system. Causes of low refrigerant There are a number of potential causes for low refrigerant in your car’s AC system. Some refrigerant is lost naturally over time.

It takes years, though, so if your car isn’t that old or the system has been recharged recently and is now blowing warm air again, chances are good that you’ve got a leak somewhere. There are two causes of AC system leaks – age and moisture. While much of your air conditioning system is made of metal, including the high pressure lines, rubber is still used throughout. You have rubber O-rings, grommets, lines and more. The problem here is that rubber degrades over time and with exposure to heat and moisture. As that wear accelerates, the affected part will fail. Something as simple as a degrading O-ring can cause you to loose refrigerant surprisingly quickly. Other sources for a leak include: That’s not the end of it, though. If you have a leak in your air conditioning system, it’s possible that moisture has entered the lines. Moisture in an automotive AC system is very bad. It mixes with the refrigerant left over and creates a type of acid. Once your system is contaminated with moisture, it’s very possible that other components will be affected and require replacement.

Detecting the leak in a timely manner is vital. If you wait too long from the initial point of AC malfunction, moisture will enter the system. Locating the source of a leak depends on the type of system you have. Some are pre-injected with UV dye, while others will have to be charged with dye. In both cases, a black light held over the engine will show where the refrigerant is leaking. The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. PW in the News Lennox Air Conditioning Coils Prone to Degradation Lennox Air Conditioning Coils Prone to Corrosion, Leaks Lennox Air Conditioning Coils Prone to Degradation, Leads to AC Failure The firm is investigating a class action lawsuit on behalf of consumers who have purchased central air conditioning units manufactured by Lennox International, Inc. Lennox International, Inc. manufactures heating, ventilation, and air conditioning products for residential use in the United States and sells central air conditioning units under its own trade name.

Lennox air conditioners are constructed with a component known as an evaporator coil, which is essential to appropriate operation of the unit. Freon (refrigerant) within the evaporator coil absorbs atmospheric heat that passes over a tube and acts as a heat exchange. This process cools the air in the home. Typically, these evaporator coils are manufactured using copper tubing; however, copper coils are vulnerable to formicary corrosion, a type of degradation that occurs due to a chemical reaction between volatile organic compounds and the copper tubes. The resulting degradation creates microscopic tunnels within the tubing that cause the coil to leak refrigerant. The carbon-based compounds are released during many typical household activities and from many household products, including wood furniture and flooring, carpeting, cleaning products, air fresheners, and cosmetics, to name just some. When formicary corrosion occurs within an evaporator coil, the leakage is often difficult to detect.

Allegedly, what typically occurs is that the consumer repeatedly fills the air conditioning unit with Freon, an ongoing and costly endeavor that only serves to mask the problem temporarily. Ultimately, the leak is detected and the coil requires replacement. The makers of air conditioners have long known about this vulnerability in copper coils to formicary corrosion because changes in housing and in consumer habits have increased the incidence of the corrosion and have made this issue more recognizable. Because newer homes are being made to be more energy efficient by sealing windows and doors, less heated and cooled air escapes, leading to increased accumulation of the compounds in indoor air. Some HVAC contractors have expressed concern over the increasing reports of formicary corrosion. Lennox Has Not Adopted Improved Technique, Does Not Advise Consumers of Defects Meanwhile, there are number of design and manufacturing techniques available that either reduce or prevent formicary corrosion.

For example, coils made with aluminum, tin plate, or polymer sealed copper are more effective against formulary corrosion than copper. In fact, other air conditioner manufacturers use these components, virtually eliminating the corrosion incidence in their products. Lennox is allegedly aware of the copper coil susceptibility to formicary corrosion and is also aware of the various remedies, yet continues to design and manufacture its air conditioning systems with the inferior components. What’s more, Lennox also allegedly continues to replace failed coils with similarly defective coils and has neglected to take any of established steps to reduce Lennox coils from degradation associated with formicary corrosion. Allegedly, Lennox has also not advised its customers that Lennox ACs are susceptible to formicary corrosion, the cause of the formicary corrosion, and that there is a remedy to this problem. When the Freon in a Lennox unit leaks, rendering the AC unable to provide cool air, and this occurs during the warranty period, Lennox allegedly replaces the Freon and leaves the defective coil in place, according to the lawsuit’s allegations.