Does Adding Freon Help AC Units?

If your air conditioner isn’t blowing cold air the way that it used to, you’re probably a little frustrated and wondering what you can do to fix it without cranking up the dial. Adding Freon is often the fast fix that everyone wants to turn to first, but Freon is not the only cause of an AC unit that isn’t blowing cold air. So before you try adding Freon to a unit that may not actually need it, make sure you check on a few other things first.

Low Freon

While it usually isn’t the case, sometimes low Freon is the cause of your AC troubles. Adding more Freon, however, still isn’t the answer. AC units are not designed to lose or leak Freon, so if your air conditioner is in that condition, you have a bigger problem than a lack of cold air.
A leaking air conditioner needs to be fixed, or you’re merely going to be putting a Band-Aid on the problem, not solving it. Call in a licensed service technician to service your AC. They’ll find the source of the leak and repair it so your unit stops leaking and starts blowing cold air again.

Dirty Air Filter

If your AC isn’t leaking Freon, then the issue is likely a dirty air filter. You should be changing your filter every one to three months or as recommended by the manufacturer. If you haven’t been following this schedule, then your filter is probably clogged up with dust, dirt, pet hair, and other particulates that make it difficult for your unit to draw air effectively. This overheats your machine and causes the unit to blow more warm air than cool.
Try changing out your filter the next time your unit begins to blow warmer air and see if there’s a change. Then, get on a regular filter changing schedule to prevent the problem from happening again in the future.

Dirty Coils

If it’s been a long time since you changed your air filter, some of the particulates the filter is designed to keep out may have entered the unit and collected on your coils. When this happens, the coils can’t transpose air and coolant the way that they should. So, just like your car, your unit begins to blow warm air because it can’t cool it down effectively.
If you’ve changed your filter and checked for leaks and your AC is still not blowing as cold as it used to, it’s probably time to call in a maintenance technician. The tech can check and clean your coils for you, and make sure that the rest of your unit is functioning properly.
Remember that to prevent this kind of problem from happening again in the future, you’ll need to change out your air filter on a regular basis. If you have been changing your filter regularly and particulates are still making their way into your AC unit, you may want to look into upgrading your filter to one that can pull more out of the air, or begin changing the filter on a more regular basis. Start checking the filter about once a month; if after one month you can no longer see through that filter, it needs to be changed regardless of what the recommended changing schedule is.

Keep On Top of Your Repairs

A unit that isn’t blowing cold is usually the sign of a bigger problem. Issues can be easily fixed if you catch them quickly enough. Consider scheduling yearly maintenance on your AC unit to catch problems before they begin to affect airflow, and continue enjoying your cold air.