What a Freon Recharge Involves

A Freon recharge, also called a refrigerant recharge, restores the charge in your air conditioning system to the correct level. Refrigerant is the substance your AC uses to absorb heat from indoor air and release it outside. When levels drop, the system cannot complete that cycle. Your home stays warm no matter how long the unit runs.

The process starts with a pressure reading. Every AC system has a manufacturer-specified charge level, measured in pounds and ounces. A technician connects gauges to the service ports and compares the actual superheat and subcooling readings against the spec for your unit. If the numbers are off, it confirms the system is low.

Here is what a Freon recharge visit from Pure covers:

  • Leak check first. Low refrigerant does not happen on its own. Before any Freon goes in, we use electronic leak detection and pressure testing to find out where it went.
  • Refrigerant type verified. R-410A is standard on systems built after 2010. Older units may use R-22, which was phased out of U.S. production in 2020. The two are not interchangeable.
  • Charge added to spec. The correct amount goes in based on your system’s manufacturer data, not a general estimate.
  • Pressure tested after recharge. Superheat and subcooling readings are verified again to confirm the system holds the correct charge.

A recharge without a leak check is a temporary fix. That is why every Freon recharge from Pure starts with finding the source before adding refrigerant.

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