Gas and Oil Home Heating Furnaces - checking freon

i recently wrote in with a question about decreasing ability of my rheem central air/heating unit to cool or heat. is there any way i can check to see if the freon is low? also is there anyway to check for leaks. i did have some diging out in the yard. finally, how expensive is it to get refilled (obviously it depends on how much freon is used) but just an estimate would help.
thanks
brian

Hi Doc,

You can not check Freon of your unit unless you are EPA Certified to do so.A/C units don't "use" refrigerant,therefore,if it is "low",then it has a leak somewhere.Due to this,it would need to be repaired before recharging and this could be minor to major and impossible to give an estimate on.I would suggest having a Qualified/Reputable Contractor look at it and give you an estimate.Check your BBB and neighbors/friends/relatives for referrals if needed.Hope this helps, although probably not the answer you hoped for. Take Care and Best Wishes.Write back if more info/help needed.

CoolBreeze

with your fingers.Start a/c.Allow it to run for 10 minutes.Go outside.There will be 2 copper lines.A large one.A small one.The large line should feel cool or cold.The small one should feel warm.If you can not feel the above it is possible you are low on freon.If the original install was correct a "sight glass" should have been installed.It would allow you to view the freon charge and check for moisture in system.PDF

You can "guesstimate" with your fingers, but a guess is just that,a guess. W/O knowing how cool/warm it should feel,you'll have no way of knowing for sure and even if you think its low,how low is it? Save yourself the time and grief and use those fingers to dial the phone.Then you'll know,not "think". Just MHO.

CoolBreeze

I apologize.I had always thought DIY forum meant helping individuals and homeowners save money.By giving people various tips and info we can walk them through a possible repair.If you both traverse the numerous threads posted on this forum it will be evident.We on this forum are here to pool are talent and knowledge at no cost.Sometimes a simple check or two can save a home owner hundreds of dollars in repairs.PDF

Hi PDF,

No apology needed. My reply was not meant to offend and I apologize if it was taken that way. I'm well aware of the reason/intent of this DIY Forum as I feel my replies on several forums would indicate. However, in this situation,if they feel the lines and they're not cool/warm indicating possible leak,then they will need to call a pro anyway.If the lines are cool/warm,w/o "OUR" training/knowledge of "How" cool/warm they should be,they could be led into "False" sense of security and depending on age/condition of unit,could think it's ok and end up doing more damage by allowing it to run. Also, if it's low,now would be best time to find out and have corrected by a Pro rather than have it go down in dead of summer.HVAC is a lot more technical than a lot of DIY projects and IMHO has to be treated differently. Sometimes a little knowledge can be worse than none. Doczimmy (Brian) had also written two previous threads concerning unit problems indicating an ongoing problem and had already been advised by "fjrachel" previously to call a Pro. HVAC systems have to have,as I'm certain you know,correct pressures,temps and airflow to operate efficiently and these are things that can't be taught on a Forum. I try to base my answers with the "customers" best interest at heart,thus my statement that my reply probably was not answer he hoped for,but was best in my opinion for this situation at this point. Once again I'm sorry if I offended you,but I stand by my answers in this situation. Hope there is no hard feelings and we can both continue to help people save money,when warranted.Take Care and have a great day.

Sincerely,

CoolBreeze

It's PDF.I jumped the gun.MY IPS has been upgrading and I have missed a bunch of stuff.Their upgrades has also kept me from connecting or getting on line.I missed the initial threads about his a/c problems.Thanks for the added info.Have a good weekend.PDF

just have the customer, or person with problem to a temperature drop across the indoor coil, this will show a sign of low refrigerant if the drop is not within the 18-21 degree range.........right?

You got it. "DELTA T" is very important.A unit must be allowed to be started and ran for 15 minutes."DELTA T" after 15 minutes, 8 degrees not good."DELTA T" after 15 minutes 30 degrees not good.Thanks to digital thermometers a TECH can check a system without tapping into the system.PDF