Important: Refrigerant work is EPA regulated. ProAir Georgetown technicians hold current EPA Section 608 Universal certification. We recover, recycle, and recharge refrigerant according to federal regulations and never vent refrigerants to atmosphere.
Refrigerant Leak Detection & Testing
Professional leak detection using electronic sniffers and UV dye. Find leaks before recharging, or recharge just moves the problem.
High-sensitivity electronic leak detectors locate small leaks in coils, line sets, and fittings that visual inspection misses.
UV dye injection and black light inspection, effective for finding intermittent or slow leaks that evade electronic detection.
Pressure test refrigerant circuits with dry nitrogen to verify leak-free condition before charging new refrigerant.
Refrigerant Service & Recovery
Proper refrigerant recharge, measured by subcooling and superheat, not just pressure gauges. We charge to manufacturer spec.
EPA-compliant refrigerant recovery before any system work requiring circuit opening.
Deep vacuum pull to remove moisture and non-condensables before refrigerant charge, critical for system longevity.
Extended deep vacuum to achieve proper micron levels, we don't rush this step that protects compressor life.
Convert systems from discontinued refrigerants to approved drop-in or replacement refrigerants.
Line Set Service & Repair
Flush contaminated line sets during compressor replacement to prevent new compressor failure from acid or debris.
Professional braze repair of pinhole leaks and joint failures in copper refrigerant lines.
Repair damaged liquid line sections including crimps, kinks, and corrosion failures.
Replace deteriorated suction line insulation, critical for efficiency and preventing condensation in Georgetown's humid summers.
Seal wall and foundation penetrations around line sets to prevent pest entry and air infiltration.
Install locking valve caps to prevent refrigerant theft and unauthorized access to Schrader valves.
Cooling Circuit Components
Replace leaking Schrader valve cores, a small but common source of refrigerant loss over time.
Install or replace liquid line filter driers, required after any system opening to remove moisture and acid.
Replace leaking or damaged service valves on compressors and line set connections.
Replace failed accumulators that protect compressors from liquid refrigerant slugging.
Replace failed thermostatic expansion valves, a hunting or stuck TXV causes refrigerant distribution problems and efficiency loss.
Repair or replace discharge line mufflers that reduce compressor noise and vibration.
Evaporator & Condenser Coil Service
Clean, inspect, and service evaporator coils, dirty coils are a leading cause of reduced cooling capacity in Georgetown homes.
Replace failed or leaking evaporator coils, including proper refrigerant recovery, installation, and recharge.
Straighten bent evaporator fins to restore full airflow through the coil and recover lost capacity.
Clean condenser coils fouled by Georgetown's cottonwood, dust, and debris, critical for summer efficiency.
Repair pinhole leaks and minor damage in condenser coils when full replacement isn't required.
Deep acid wash for severely fouled condenser coils, removes mineral scale, oxidation, and embedded debris.
Address the root cause of a frozen evaporator coil, low refrigerant or restricted airflow. We fix the cause, not just defrost.
Diagnose and repair the refrigerant or airflow condition causing ice formation on copper suction lines.
How Accumulators Protect Your Compressor
A suction line accumulator sits between the evaporator coil and the compressor on many heat pump systems and some straight-cool systems with variable operating conditions. Its job is to trap any liquid refrigerant or oil that hasn't fully evaporated before it reaches the compressor. Compressors are built to pump vapor, not liquid. Liquid refrigerant reaching the compressor causes a condition called slugging, where incompressible liquid strikes the piston or scroll set on the compression stroke. A single bad slugging event can crack a valve plate or bend a connecting rod, and repeated minor slugging wears bearings and seals prematurely.
Accumulators fail in a few predictable ways. The internal U-tube or pickup tube can crack from vibration fatigue, which lets oil pool at the bottom instead of being metered back to the compressor, starving it of lubrication over time. The desiccant or screen inside can break down and circulate debris through the suction line. External corrosion, especially at the inlet and outlet braze joints, eventually produces a refrigerant leak at the shell itself. We identify a failing accumulator by listening for compressor noise changes, checking for oil at the shell or fittings, and confirming with superheat readings that show inconsistent or excessively low values, a sign that liquid is passing through rather than boiling off completely upstream.
Replacement means recovering the refrigerant charge, cutting out the old accumulator, brazing in a properly sized replacement matched to the system's tonnage and metering device type, then pulling a deep vacuum and recharging to manufacturer specification by weight and verified against subcooling and superheat targets. Because heat pumps in Georgetown cycle between cooling and heating far more than in colder climates, and because our mild winters mean frequent defrost cycles and reversing valve switches, the accumulator on a Georgetown heat pump works harder over its lifespan than one in a system that only cools. We size the replacement to the specific compressor and refrigerant charge, not a generic universal part, since an undersized accumulator won't hold enough liquid capacity during a heavy defrost cycle and an oversized one can trap too much oil.
Accumulator Replacement Questions, Georgetown TX
AC Not Cooling? Low Refrigerant?
EPA certified technicians. We find leaks, fix them, then recharge, in that order.