Recently, we had a customer who filled out our Ask an Expert form and asked, “Once the [air conditioning] system is filled with Freon, how long might the Freon last? Forever so long as there are no more leaks? For context, this customer’s parents had a slow refrigerant leak in their AC system. These are great questions. So we wanted to share the answers with everyone. Freon (which is really just a particular brand of refrigerant) lasts forever. It’s not like gas in car; it does not get “used up.” You see, your air conditioner’s refrigerant system is a “closed/sealed system,” meaning that it does not allow refrigerant to escape in any way. Of course, if you are low on refrigerant your system has a leak. So adding refrigerant without addressing the leak wastes money. A ton of it. R-22 refrigerant (a common refrigerant in older ACs) is expensive because it’s being phased out by the EPA. Adding 7 lbs of Freon could easily cost you $700. So, that leads to the next question.

Age eventually takes its toll on an air conditioner, so you could say a refrigerant leak is inevitable. Refrigerant circulates under high pressure and therefore wears down and thins the inside of the tubing. A better question is, “What can I do to prevent refrigerant leaks?” Your goal is to prevent refrigerant leaks and, when you do get them, nip them in the bud before they get too large. The larger the leak, the more refrigerant you lose. Keep your dog away from the outside AC unit Dog urine is acidic and can eat through the refrigerant coils. So keep your pooch away. Alternately, you could add a small fence around the unit. But make sure you leave at least 2 feet of space free around the AC so it can cool your home properly. Get professional AC maintenance once a year Many leaks occur because of vibration and wear and tear at multiple joints in the system. Annual air conditioner maintenance can catch any possible leak problems before they become expensive disasters.

See what a professional AC maintenance visit should look like according to ENERGYSTAR. We love hearing from our neighbors in the metro Atlanta area. So if you have any questions, ask one of our experts for help. Also, if you think your AC is low on Freon, or you just want to prevent a Freon leak, contact us for help. how to wire a home ac unit(P.S.: You’ll save 10% on any repairs by scheduling online!)how to move a window ac unitAccording to Energy.gov, a central air conditioner usually lives for about 15 to 20 years.who makes the best air conditioning units But since you live in Arizona, where the sun mercilessly beats down on the outside unit, you may be wondering how long your air conditioner will last.

From our experience, we’d say an air conditioner in Arizona will probably last about 10 to 14+ years. This lifespan varies based on these factors: We’ll show you how those 3 things affect the lifespan, and what you can do to extend the life of your air conditioner. The lifespan of your air conditioning system depends on the system’s type: A heat pump is an air conditioner that can both cool and heat your home. Its lifespan is shorter because it’s running year-round. Whereas a straight-cool air conditioner lasts several years longer because it gets to rest during the cooler months (what few we have!) and let the furnace take over. All air conditioners come in a particular “size,” which is measured in tons. Size measures the air conditioner’s cooling ability (how well it can remove heat from your home). The larger the system, the more quickly it can remove heat. Now, here’s the important part: Improper sizing will reduce an air conditioner’s lifespan.

Essentially, air conditioners are like shoes: If you have the wrong size, you’re going to have painful problems. For example, here are 2 common A/C sizing issues: Do this: If you’re looking to get a new air conditioner soon, ensure that you hire a professional Phoenix A/C technician to find the size or A/C you need by using a load calculation. Related article: What Size Central Air Conditioner Do I Need? Air conditioners are like cars: If you don’t maintain them properly, they’re more likely to break down, resulting in decreased lifespan. So, how can you maintain your air conditioner? A dirty air filter is the #1 cause of A/C breakdowns. Which is unfortunate because changing the filter is so easy. A dirty filter causes big problems because it restricts airflow to the A/C. This restriction can cause your A/C to: Do this: Check your filter once a month and change it if it looks like the one on the right: To prevent breakdowns and unwanted costs, air conditioners need a professional tune-up once a year, according to ENERGY STAR.

What’s so important about professional maintenance? Well, besides keeping your warranty valid, tune-ups take care of important tasks like cleaning the outside unit. If that outside unit gets too dirty, the A/C will struggle to cool your home, causing it to run constantly. Essentially, a dirty outside unit causes the same problems as undersizing the air conditioner. If your A/C’s outdoor unit looks like this, it needs a tune-up! Do this: If your A/C has not had professional maintenance in over a year, contact your local Phoenix HVAC contractor to schedule an A/C tune-up. I was going through my blog roll this morning when I saw that someone had asked this elsewhere. I figured it would be a good question to ask. In general, how long do evaporator coils last in a home AC system? How can I make them last longer? If I want to replace them, what should I keep in mind? They should last for the life of the A/C system, which is generally 15-20 years for a high quality system.

(Many people end up replacing their systems between 12 and 15 years due to efficiency issues or deferred maintenance causing damage to more easily damaged components, such as the compressor.) Most of the time, evaporator coils fail because they are allowed to get dirty or are allowed to have ice build up on them. Things you can do yourself to help prolong the life is to make sure you change your HVAC intake filter regularly and use a high quality filter (filters should be in place for no more than a month, and should be replaced sooner in a dusty environment if you can no longer see light through the filter), and make sure that your evaporator coils are draining correctly. The easiest way to make them last longer is to have a licensed HVAC technician perform regular maintenance on your system. This should be done once a year, typically in the winter time. The technician will clean the coils and check them over. At the same time, the A/C tech will check to make sure that your coolant is at the right level/pressure and that there are no leaks in your system.

If you replace them, you probably want to replace the entire system at this point thanks to many recent gains made in efficiency. I'm not sure if how long they "should last" matches most home owners experiences. Looking at many consumer complaint websites showed many users with failure between 5 and 7 years. Recommended Maintenance Didn't Save Me You should always do the recommended maintenance, but in my case maintenance wasn't the problem. I have a 14.5 SEER, 2.5 Ton Carrier unit. The evaporator coil started leaking after 43 months (under 4 years). It was a small leak where the copper met the rusty metal housing. I used high quality filters and replaced them every 2-3 months. They never looked dirty but I still replaced them within the recommended window. It was under a service contract and had preventative maintenance done by a licensed tech from AC-Designs in Central FL every 6 months (twice a year). The parts were under warranty but labor was not so it was a little over $600 to replace with a 90 day labor and 1 year parts warranty.