For $25 and some time its not a bad idea if you don't know someone that can purchase the refrigerant for you. I also do mine myself as the cost is ridiculous to pay a technician. Not only do they charge a high hourly rate, but they charge over 500% (sometimes a lot more) on the refrigerant itself.
As stated: Once systems get over 5-years old (typically 8-10 years old) they tend to have very small leaks that are very difficult to track down. Most older systems should be "charged" (refrigerant added) every other year if not yearly to perform efficiently. When your system is low on refrigerant it takes longer to cool/heat which requires more electricity. Doing something like this yourself, really can save you a lot of money.
Just being a little low can make a big difference out here in AZ where we depend so much on our A/C (heat pump) units.
As stated: Once systems get over 5-years old (typically 8-10 years old) they tend to have very small leaks that are very difficult to track down. Most older systems should be "charged" (refrigerant added) every other year if not yearly to perform efficiently. When your system is low on refrigerant it takes longer to cool/heat which requires more electricity. Doing something like this yourself, really can save you a lot of money.
Just being a little low can make a big difference out here in AZ where we depend so much on our A/C (heat pump) units.
Last edited by west-phoenix-az (2008-05-21 10:32:00)
