Often, an air conditioner can begin to work slowly or improperly due to being out of coolant and needing a Freon refill. Unfortunately, recharging your AC with Freon gas is not something which can be done by the ordinary do-it-yourselfer. Not only do many local and state governments require permits and special licensing to work with refrigerant, but the machinery to do it is exceptionally expensive. Also, complicating matters, Freon gas is dangerous when it enters the atmosphere so recovery of the old gas is important. For these reasons, it is necessary to have a professional recharge the air conditioner, but professionals mean spending money. So what is the average amount to expect to spend on refilling your refrigerant? The cost is luckily not extreme, nor should your Freon need to be replaced on a regular basis. For between $100 and $150, you can get a refill which should last for many years. Usually when a professional refills the Freon, he will also check to make sure the system is functioning properly.

However, if the Freon needs to be refilled again in less than three years, you may have a leak within the hoses or valves which will need to be sealed. To get the best price on a Freon refill, check for sales during the cooler months when demand is not as high. There are some factors to consider that can either raise or lower the cost of a normal recharge. Companies charge by the pound for a Freon replacement, so the size of your unit and the level of your current refrigerant can skew this average up or down. For a small home, a large AC unit is unnecessary, and the smaller the unit, the less Freon it will need. But, on the other hand, with a large house comes a large air conditioning unit, and this will cost more to refill when it inevitably runs low. If your technician suspects a Freon leak, your costs will also have to go up; since refrigerant is a regulated substance than can be harmful to the atmosphere, the EPA demands that a leak check be performed and any repairs made before the Freon can be refilled.

Refrigerant recharges can also sometimes vary just based on location and time of year, but these factors shouldn’t too dramatically affect the average cost. With a good round estimate of a Freon refill in your mind, you should be confident what to look for the next time your central air needs refrigerant. RV Air Conditioner Parts: When to Replace Fan BladesWhat is an AC Recharge all about? For an AC system to work, it needs a gas or liquid substance called refrigerant ( R-12 Freon in older cars, R-134a in 1995 and newer cars). Over time, refrigerant can leak from the AC system through seals. If the AC does not have enough refrigerant, it will not blow cold air. Since the AC system is a sealed unit, the only way to tell if the car needs a recharge is if the AC is not blowing cold air through the vents. There are two types of refrigerant. These cannot be interchanged. For older cars, it should be filled with R12 Freon or converted to a newer system. For cars made after 1995, the AC should be filled with R134a.

Install air conditioning manifold gauge set. Determine if the air conditioning system charge is low. Add the correct refrigerant to top off the air conditioning system. Install thermometer in vents to monitor vent temperatures. Check system for leaks.how to reset a window ac unit Check for proper operation of AC system.ac and heat window units It is common for refrigerant to leak. standing air conditioner unitsIf the AC is not as cold as you expect, then it is probably a good time to have the mechanic look at it. Lack of proper cold air can be an indication of other problems with AC (fan not working, AC compressor not working, etc.). What are the common symptoms indicating you need an AC Recharge? AC is not working.

AC is not blowing cold air. Clicking noise from the engine compartment.In these cases, when the AC system fails, in addition to not getting any cold air, the entire temperature regulation can be thrown off.Q: My air conditioning contractor just charged me $100 per pound for R-22 refrigerant. This is a lot more than I paid four years ago. Is this a fair price these days?A: Prices for R-22 refrigerant, commonly known as "Freon," have definitely risen over the past few years.Here's why: About 25 years ago, the EPA ordered the phasing out of R-22 as part of the international treaty on protecting the ozone layer called the "Montreal Protocol," because of the refrigerant's ozone-depleting substances.As part of the agreement, production ended in 2010 for new air conditioning units "charged" with R-22 and production of the refrigerant itself was reduced by 75 percent. By 2015, there will be a 90 percent reduction in the production of R-22. By 2020, it will no longer be produced. Because production is limited, costs to charge existing units that are leaking R-22 refrigerant have gone up and are only expected to rise.

I've spoken with a number of highly rated heating and cooling contractors on Angie's List and, depending on how much of a supply they have and how much they paid when they purchased it, these companies are charging three and four times the cost they were just a few years ago. Companies have quoted prices ranging from $35 to $175 per pound.That comes with a caveat, though. For example, one Long Island-area company representative I spoke with said he charges $35 per pound, but that does not include the cost of a service charge. Most companies seem to charge about $115 for the labor portion. So, if your contractor charged you $100 to replenish one pound and that included the labor, then it sounds like you got a pretty good deal.All that said, I think you need to look at the bigger issue here. You said you paid to have R-22 added to your A/C four years ago. Really, R-22 should never need to be replaced. If your system needs R-22, that means you have a leak. Rather than continuing to pay these increased costs to replenish the leaking R-22, I recommend you find a qualified heating and cooling company to repair the leak.