Can you just refill a leaking HVAC system with refrigerant to get by?
Refilling an empty, leaking system temporarily without fixing the leak can be extremely expensive and unsustainable due to high refrigerant costs. Doing this instead of replacing the faulty component prevents a permanent fix and fails to address the root issue.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Replacing the indoor coil instead of paying for refrigerant and labor twice
- 2Using window AC or portable units
- 3getting a second opinion
- 4topping off the system and saving for a future replacement
- 5measuring delta T independently
- 6hiring technicians to find and repair leaks before recharging
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I have posted about this same thing before…”source ↗
“Ridiculously high for a “little low””source ↗
“The deltaT has been the same for 7 years. I've been measuring it myself every year.”source ↗
“If you have a leak at the indoor coil and the system was completely empty could you fill it up from zero with refrigerant to get a customer by?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 5Refrigerator water line leaking and flooring damage
- 2Cool air leaking from gap around AC copper pipe in attic
- 2HVAC system stops taking refrigerant during charging
- 2Damaged insulation on new AC refrigerant lines
- 2How to cap a copper refrigerator water line without a shutoff valve
- 2Power steering leaking fast: do I tighten or replace?