Air Conditioning System Leak Inspection
How is an air conditioning leak diagnosed?
Diagnosis of the air conditioning system requires advanced knowledge of air conditioning systems, and a good understanding of the relationship between temperature and pressure of a liquid and gas. A technician with proper training, and certification is required to repair an air conditioning system. Professional grade equipment is used to read high and low side pressure, and the technician must rely on hours of classroom and hands-on training to understand the readings, diagnose the faulty part, and recommend a repair. If a leak is suspected, the technician may place an ultraviolet (UV) dye in the A/C system, and check for leaks with a UV flashlight. Using this method, the leak is very obvious, and the diagnosis is proven as soon as the UV dye is detected on or around an air conditioning component. A helpful sign for technicians when diagnosing air conditioner leaks is a hissing noise, or obvious damage to air conditioning components.
What will be the outcome of an air conditioning system leak diagnosis?
Replacement of most air conditioning components requires complete evacuation of the air conditioning system with a refrigerant recovery machine. Once components are re-installed, the technician will remove all air from the system in preparation for recharging the system with new refrigerant. Once any leaky seals have been replaced, or if the system has been verified to hold pressure, the technician will evacuate and recharge the system with new refrigerant and oil.
RepairPal Recommendations for an air conditioning system leak
Refrigerant is environmentally harmful, and should never be released into the air. Instead, a proper refrigerant recovery machine must be used to protect the technician, and the environment. We do not recommend attempting to recharge the A/C system at home, as products available to consumers tend to contain substances that can cause damage to expensive refrigerant recovery equipment. Lastly, if your vehicle has not been converted from R12 to R134a refrigerant, the best time to have this service completed is when the air conditioning system is already being serviced.