"Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) - Do You Need a 'Freon' Leak Detector?"

By Ron Stultz

29 July 2012

Summary: No, a homeowner does not need a Freon leak detector.

Background:

- You handy.

- HVAC does not scare you.

- Your system has a "Freon" leak.

- You think, perhaps the leak is at some pipe junction and with a Freon leak detector, you could find the leak and "solder" it sealed.

- You think, perhaps, you can get cans of the "Freon" your system uses and you could charge the system yourself.

Reality:

- Even if you buy a Freon leak detector and find a leak at a pipe junction, you can not solder pipes with "Freon" in the system.

- To solder (silver type) or rather braze HVAC piping, all Freon has to pulled from the system, the lines filled with Nitrogen and then pipes brazed, not soldered.

- A Freon vacuum is: $$$'s.

- Container to house vacuumed Freon: upper $$.

- Nitrogen?

- The chances of you buying the Freon your system uses? Slim to none. Various kinds of Freon are for sale on eBay but all "require" an EPA HVAC certificate be provided before shipping. Whether or not eBay sellers do actually require EPA certification be provided or not is unclear.

- Thus, if you even do find a leak with a Freon detector, you going to have to hire a professional.

Or:

If your system uses R22:

- Buy a can of Nu-Calgon Easyseal, HVAC sealant.

- Buy the Nu-Calgon injection hose.

- Add Easyseal to your system (follow instructions on can, wearing gloves and eye protection).

- Buy a 2 port manifold (high and low pressure HVAC gauges)

- Off eBay, you can buy R22a, which is just a super purified Propane. Since R22a does not impact the ozone, no EPA license required to buy it

- It is illegal a mix "Freon" types such as R22 and R22a.

- If the leak your system has can not be sealed with Easyseal, call a professional.