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.
A Small Part That Causes Big Leaks
Schrader valves are the spring-loaded valve cores found at the service ports on your refrigerant lines, the same basic design used in car and bicycle tires. They allow a technician to connect gauges or a recovery machine without opening the full refrigerant circuit, and they're meant to seal completely when nothing is attached. Over years of service, the small rubber or synthetic seat inside the valve core degrades from constant exposure to refrigerant and oil, or the core loosens slightly from repeated gauge connections during maintenance visits. Once the seat fails to seal fully, refrigerant weeps out slowly, sometimes so slowly that a system loses a meaningful amount of charge over a full cooling season without producing an obvious puddle or hissing sound.
This is one of the most common sources of a slow refrigerant leak we find, and it's often overlooked because it's such a small component relative to the coils and line sets that get more attention during an inspection. We test for a leaking Schrader valve using electronic leak detection held directly at the valve stem and cap, and sometimes with soap bubble solution for a clear visual confirmation. Because the leak rate from a bad valve core is often quite low, it can take repeated seasons of gradual undercharge, showing up as slowly declining cooling performance and rising summer electric bills, before a homeowner notices anything is wrong.
Repair is straightforward on most systems: the core is unscrewed and replaced using a valve core removal tool that allows the swap without a full recovery of the system's refrigerant charge, provided the system still holds enough pressure to reseat and the replacement is done quickly and correctly. If the valve body itself, not just the core, is damaged or corroded, a full valve replacement requiring recovery and brazing is needed instead. We always install a locking cap after any Schrader valve service, since the cap provides a secondary seal and helps prevent both accidental venting and unauthorized access. Systems around Georgetown that are eight to fifteen years old, roughly matching the age of many homes built during the area's rapid 2010s subdivision growth, are the ones we most often find with worn valve cores, simply from age and years of routine service visits.
Schrader Valve Questions, Georgetown TX
AC Not Cooling? Low Refrigerant?
EPA certified technicians. We find leaks, fix them, then recharge, in that order.