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.
Our Approach to Finding Refrigerant Leaks
Finding a refrigerant leak correctly, rather than guessing and simply topping off refrigerant, requires choosing the right detection method for the situation, and often combining more than one. Electronic leak detection is our starting point for most calls, since it's fast and sensitive enough to find the majority of real-world leaks, worn Schrader valve cores, marginal flare fittings, and pinhole corrosion, without adding anything to the refrigerant itself. For leaks that don't show up clearly with electronic detection, often because they're very slow or intermittent, only leaking under specific pressure or temperature conditions, we turn to UV dye testing, injecting a small amount of fluorescent dye into the refrigerant that circulates through the system and becomes visible under black light exactly where it's escaping.
For a system that's fully empty of refrigerant, with nothing left to detect electronically or with dye, we pressurize the circuit with dry nitrogen and monitor for pressure loss, which tells us whether a leak exists at all before we invest time hunting for its exact location, and helps confirm a repair has actually resolved the issue once we think we've found and fixed it. Georgetown's attic-mounted air handler layout, common across most home designs in the area, adds a practical challenge to all of this: attic temperatures here regularly exceed 130 to 150 degrees during peak summer afternoons, and that heat causes brazed joints and fittings to expand and contract through a wider daily range than components at ground level experience, which is one reason we sometimes find leaks that are worse in the afternoon heat than they test in cooler morning conditions.
Our general process starts with a visual inspection for obvious oil residue, a telltale sign refrigerant oil left behind at a leak point, followed by electronic detection across all accessible joints, valves, and coil sections. If nothing is found but the system's history suggests an ongoing slow loss, we add UV dye and schedule a follow-up inspection under black light after enough run time for the dye to reach the leak. Throughout, we document everything: leak location, repair method, and post-repair verification with either electronic detection or a nitrogen hold test, since a leak repair that isn't verified isn't actually confirmed complete. We never simply recharge a system without first attempting to locate and repair the underlying leak, since doing so only delays the same problem and adds unnecessary cost over time.
Leak Detection Method Questions, Georgetown TX
AC Not Cooling? Low Refrigerant?
EPA certified technicians. We find leaks, fix them, then recharge, in that order.