If you find yourself melting instead of chilling in your car or home as warm air blasts out of the vents, your air conditioning system may be experiencing a Freon leak. Freon is a manufactured, non-flammable, colorless liquid. Freon is used as a coolant in air conditioners. Before you feel cool coming from the vents again, you need to determine if a leak exists and where it is. There are some simple, low tech ways of detecting a Freon leak.
Instructions
Instructions
- 1
Assess the situation. If you suspect your vehicle has a Freon leak, open the hood of your car and examine the compressor and the attached hose. Oily residue on the hose can be a tell-tale sign of coolant leak. Not only are air conditioners filled with refrigerant, but refrigerant oil, which can escape during a leak.
If you believe your home air conditioner is not working properly because of insufficient coolant, find and examine the piping, cooling and condensing coils. Again, look for any oily residue or discoloration that may indicate Freon is escaping from the unit.
It is advised that you don't smell for a leak as inhalation of high concentrations of Freon is harmful to human health and may be fatal. Freon vapors are heavier than air and can pose a suffocation risk if they are trapped in a confined space.
2Continue your diagnosis. If a leak is not found visibly, mix soap and water together in a container. Using the soapy water test can help to identify if there is a leak as well as the source. If you need to, use a spray bottle to mist the nooks and crannies of the test area.
3Saturate the area with the soapy mixture. Use a non-absorbent cloth, if needed, to spread the mixture around.
4Turn on air conditioner and watch for bubbles. If bubbles form, you have found a leak. If there are no bubbles, there is no leak. If bubbles don't form, repeat the test at least two more times before reaching a conclusion.
