AC and heat pump leak repair in San Mateo County
AC low on refrigerant? Find the leak.
Refrigerant isn't used up like fuel. If your central AC or heat pump is low, it is leaking, and the fix is to find the leak, repair it and then recharge. This page is about home AC and heat pump systems, not refrigerators.
How do I know if my AC is leaking refrigerant?
You usually can't see it or smell it, but the system tells you. These are the signs that point to a leak:
- The air from the vents is cool but not cold, or the house takes much longer to cool than it used to.
- Ice or frost on the copper line at the outdoor unit, or on the indoor coil.
- A hissing or bubbling sound near the lines or the coil.
- The AC runs far longer than before, and your electric bill climbs without a reason.
- A refrigerant top-up last year that has already worn off.
Any of these means a technician should read the system's pressures and temperatures. Running it on low refrigerant can overheat the compressor, which is the costly part.
What leak detection and repair looks like
Finding a leak is detective work. We don't guess and we don't add refrigerant and leave.
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We read the system
Gauges and temperature readings show whether the charge is low and how the coil and compressor are behaving.
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We find the leak
Electronic detectors, soap bubbles on the joints and, where needed, dye or a pressure test narrow it down. Leaks tend to be at joints, valves, the indoor coil or the line set.
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We repair or replace the part
A leaking fitting or line can be repaired. A coil that has corroded through is usually cheaper to replace than to keep patching.
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We recharge and check
The system is evacuated, recharged to the equipment's requirement and run through a full cycle, then the readings are checked again.
Can't you just top up the refrigerant?
You can, and it will cool for a while, but the leak is still there. The refrigerant escapes again, sometimes within a season, and each visit costs you more than finding the leak once would.
Refrigerant also has a rule behind it. New air conditioners and heat pumps sold in California must use a lower-warming refrigerant, so a replacement part or a replacement system may not take the refrigerant your old one used. Ask us which your system takes before anyone adds any.
Source: California Air Resources Board, air-conditioning equipment rules, checked 2026-10-17
Is your AC low on refrigerant?
Call and tell us what it's doing, or book a visit online.
Should I repair the leak or replace the system?
A small leak at an accessible joint is usually worth repairing, whatever the age of the system. A leak in the indoor coil is a closer call, and the answer depends on the coil's cost against the age of everything else.
If the coil or the outdoor unit is replaced, the state energy code also requires the thermostat to be upgraded to a digital setback thermostat. We'll lay out the options and what each one involves so you can decide.
Source: California Energy Commission, 2025 Single-Family Residential Compliance Manual (June 2025), checked 2026-10-17
Tell us what it's doing. We'll take it from there.
Call and describe the problem: the noise, the smell, the room that never warms up. Or book a visit online.
