Is your system low on refrigerant or freon, we're going to talk about your options right now: hey guys, Josh mcgriffin here serving the middle Peninsula and the Northern Neck of Virginia, and I want to do a video about probably one of the most common problems and calls That we get as a company what your options are and and what the good and bad of each of those options are. No one option makes sense for all situations, in my opinion, so let's get into it. If your system is low on refrigerant or if you think it is, we get folks that call all the time and they say well, I think my system is low on refrigerant and sometimes it's not, they think it is, but maybe it's not, and so I wanted To kind of go through at Griffin air, we give you four options, typically to remedying your issue and again, not enough. Not every option makes sense in every situation.

So, let's kind of go through those. You can see our HR manager boomer back in the back today, where we're sitting on the truck right now so anyway, option number one option: number one is what we would call a gas and go or you know top them off, or you know, heard different terms Used for, but if your systems low on refrigerant this would be basically where they would add the refrigerant and then that's it. No nothing else is done and you know so, let's kind of go through that. What's the good and the bad of that.

Well, if, if the system has for me personally, if I've never laid hands on a system and it's just a little low, that might be the best option, you know just add a pound or two of refrigerant, you know, do a proper either sub cool or super Heat measurement make sure it's where it's supposed to be running efficiently. Of course the system needs to be clean and the air. For you know, air filters need to be clean and all that good stuff making sure that's got proper air flow, and maybe that option makes sense now, what's the bad for that option. Well, if you've got a system that you know has had it's been a problem, child you've been having to add refrigerant to, it often seems like you know, you've done it more than once, and you know it just keeps being a problem child.

Well, that's not a very good option, in fact the EPA says bylaw heating and air technicians. If they know a system has a leak and it's a significant leak we have to make, we have to attempt to repair in some way shape or form we're not allowed to just continue to dump refrigerant into a system. So again you know so that option may make sense. It just depends if a systems still under warranty, let's say a system is a newer and it's only been in say six months.

It was installed in one season and now it's another. You know, maybe just adding a little bit of refrigerant to get the pressures right. Maybe you know in the wintertime they couldn't do a sub pool measurements. To get it perfect.

They went by the chart that comes from the manufacturer and got it as close as they could and so on. So that would be option one, and you know it may make sense option. Two is doing the same thing: adding the refrigerant and get you know getting it up where it needs to be, and then adding a product to the system such as leak seal, there's different brands leak seals, an actual product made by new Calgon, but adding some sort Of you know something to stop the leak to the system, it's sort of like fix-a-flat for a tire, and you know where it would be. Hopefully, the hope and dream is that it would get into the system, find the leak and stop the leak.

Now, here's the thing with that. First of all, especially when it first came out when these types of products first came out, there was an issue where some of the manufacturers and even heating and air contractors were claiming, and some still claim that it will gum up. The system it'll make the compressor fail and things like that and I'm not gon na get into whether that is or isn't true. I think that that's a whole other topic, whether some products do or don't you know, do that and so on.

But let's just talk for a moment about the thought process behind that it the product itself. Well, let's, first of all, if it's a significant leak, so if you're, if you're having to add refrigerant to that system to three plus pounds every couple of months, is I gon na work, whether whether it is or isn't, a good product, it will not work. It's too big of a leak, just like fix a flat for a tire: it's not gon na work. You know I've done it a few times, and I can tell you it it's just not gon na fix the leak.

It's too big of a leak. The second thing to consider is because of what I just mentioned about um. You know some of the past issues and, and you know something the thought processes behind it or you know what it can do to your system. Most manufacturers will void warranty if they know that you put a product like that into the system.

In fact, most may it warrant most of the manufacturers. Don't even want you to put any additives to the system, so even a product say like AC renew, which just is a it's: it's a sort of lubricant and oil that would be added to the system to make the compressor more efficient and quieter. They don't even want that in there. If it's still under warranty, they don't want anything they want to straight refrigerant and what they have designed for the system.

So that's another thing: if it's still under warranty option, two does not make sense, offer your for your problem. Lastly, when would I personally offer that option? Well, if I have a customer system is older, you know 15, 12, 15 plus years old, they're just trying to get another year or two out of the system. They've had to add refrigerant to it before, but it's been a year or two: it's not a you know a huge leak but they're looking for just you know a solution to kind of get them through get another year or two out of that system. Option.

Two. Might make sense, so that's that the third option option three option: three would be trying to fund the leak and repairing it and then recharging the system back up properly. So now this would probably seem to make sense. You know if there's a leak, fondon't repair it and then go from there, and if a system is under warranty, I think option 3 is the only option.

So let me say that bit system is still under warranty. Option 3 is the only option attempt to find the leak repair it make the system. You know right and and go from there a couple of things with option. 3, though.

The first thing is: if it's a smaller leak and I'm sure some other heating and air guys would argue with me on this, oh, I can find any leak. If it's a smaller leak, you may not find it with the best tools in the world sniffers. Even a nitrogen pressure test things like that, you may not find it. I mean it just it's, it's just possible.

Okay, that's the first thing. The second thing is: if, if the technician finds the leak, there's no guarantee that they're gon na be able to repair it. So let's say the leak is in the coil most times if it's in the evaporator coil you're gon na replace that entire evaporator coil you're not gon na attempt to repair that so now. Why does that matter? You say well, of course, you would well the reason that would matter is, if you have an older system and you're just again getting back to that.

Well, I'm just trying to get a year two more out of this system. You may not want to put that kind of money into a system. That's you know, got some age, fifteen plus years old and it's leaking refrigerant. And now you just found out that there's either you have to replace the coil and then, of course, the pay for the refrigerant all that stuff it could be.

You know it can be a inexpensive repair. The last thing I'll mention about option 3, and this isn't a deal breaker. I just want you to be aware, and that is option 3, unlike all of the other options, is an option that you may select but not stay with. Ok, so what I mean by that is, let's say you select option 3 and then the technician you know they take the time and the materials whichever process they use to find the leak and they um.

You know they find the leak. Well, let's just say you decide after they find the leak that you're going to replace the system. You, you know we're gon na get into that in a second, that's actually option 4. Well, you still have to pay for option 3.

You just pay a technician. Just took the time, the material, so if they did a pressure test, nitrogen that they did, that you know their sniffer or whatever process they used to find the lead you may have to pay to have that option perform if that makes sense. So I just want you to be aware of that. You know so.

Just keep that in mind. So last option option four option. Four is replacing the system, you might say. Well, I always feel like you know.

The company that I use is going with option for every time, and that may be true, but just realize sometimes option. Four does make the most sense because and there's but there's videos. You can look up about this when you figure up the cost of you know doing the repair or one of the other options, and then you, you know if you do, if you did go with option one and it doesn't work or two and it doesn't work And then you know the company's back out there couple months later or a year later or whatever, once you start, adding up the costs and the the cost of an inefficient system and all of those things, sometimes a brand-new system with the peace of mind and the Warranty might make sense. The last thing I'll say about all of this and the whole reason I even did this video is.

There are companies that will, you know, push you into one of those options without actually letting you consider your options. If you, if you will so you know, there's I've heard of other cut. I've had I've had customers that you know, we've been to their home and they say well, man nobody's ever laid it out. Quite like you just did you know giving me these options and deciding which one makes the most sense I'm gon na.

Let you make the option: I'm not gon na push you to option four or option one or whatever, I'm gon na tell you, which one, I think, makes the most sense and that's that and it's never the same one. You know every house every situation is different, but there are times where heating and air technicians will just up and do option one they'll just do it. You know a gas and go a top it off and go on and it doesn't get folks to warm fuzzies. So the whole point of that and the reason I want to do this video is, you know, there's multiple options and you should consider in your situation, which option makes it no sense yet again, there's good and bad of each option, and you know just from saving Money standpoint: in the long run you know one option might make more sense than the others.

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