What Is a Home AC Recharge?

By Anne Fonda

An AC recharge is when an HVAC professional changes or refills the refrigerant that cools warm air as it passes through your HVAC system. Unlike recharging the refrigerant in your car’s AC system, you can’t buy a kit at the local auto parts store and do a home AC recharge yourself. Only a licensed HVAC technician can do the job.

Does my HVAC system need an AC recharge?

Not regularly. Your air conditioner or heat pump system has a sealed refrigerant system. It reuses the refrigerant again and again in a continuous refrigeration cycle. Your system could last its entire lifespan without needing an AC recharge. You would only need to recharge your AC if there was a problem with your system such as a refrigerant leak.

Signs you might need an air conditioner recharge

Normal wear and tear, lack of maintenance, and installation issues can all lead to a refrigerant leak. A refrigerant leak causes refrigerant levels to drop. That can have a domino effect on your system, causing it to work harder to try and cool your home. Below are several signs that you may have a refrigerant leak and need a home AC refill.

• Frozen evaporator coil If your evaporator coil has frosted over, it could be a sign of a refrigerant leak.
• A hissing or bubbling noise If you hear a hissing or bubbling sound near the refrigerant lines outside or indoors near the evaporator coil, you have a refrigerant leak.
• The unit runs constantly If your air conditioner or heat pump never takes a break, you may have a refrigerant leak.
• Your AC is blowing warm air This could be another sign of a refrigerant leak.
• Higher cooling costs without a rate increase or higher temperatures A refrigerant leak might be to blame, but an HVAC technician can pinpoint the problem.

Some of these problems can be caused by more than one issue. Contact a professional to get to the root of the problem and make the necessary heat pump or AC repairs.

How much does an HVAC recharge cost?

The cost of a home A/C recharge will vary based on the type of refrigerant and how much you need. Older air conditioning systems with R-22 (Freon®) will cost more to recharge. That’s because this refrigerant is no longer being manufactured or imported to the United States, and it’s becoming harder to find. Decreased supply means higher prices.

In general, an HVAC Freon refill for a home air conditioner or heat pump ranges up to $250 per pound for the R-22, and prices will continue to increase after this writing. You may pay $300 +/- for the labor required to find the leak, recover the refrigerant, fix the leak, and recharge your home AC unit. Labor costs may vary depending on where you live.

For a newer unit that uses R-410A, you’ll pay less for the refrigerant, in the range of $90 per pound. You’ll still have the labor costs and associated fees to recharge an air conditioner.  

Is a home AC recharge worth it?

This depends on several factors, including how old the air conditioner or heat pump is. If it uses Freon, your system has some age on it. Since R-22 was phased out, if you have an R-22 unit, it was manufactured in 2009 or earlier, making it at least 15 years old.

If you’ve been paying for an increasing number of repairs, it may be time to cut your losses and put your money into a new HVAC system. This is especially true if the cause of low refrigerant is an evaporator coil that needs to be replaced. Evaporator coil replacement can range from $550-$2,500. See our blog on Average Air Conditioning Repair Costs for more information.

Today’s AC units and heat pumps are much more efficient, and if you opt for a qualified heat pump system, you can save a lot of money through stacking tax credits and heat pump rebates. 

Check out our Repair or Replace Guide for more information.

Practice routine maintenance to maintain system health

Changing your air filters regularly can help prevent a frozen evaporator coil. You could also schedule professional HVAC maintenance in the spring before the cooling season begins and in the fall before the heating season begins.

Regular maintenance checks can help spot small problems before they become big and costly ones.

Work with the HVAC experts

If you need AC repair or heat pump repair, contact your local Trane HVAC dealer for help. They can offer guidance on the pros and cons of repairing an older system vs replacing it, and go over your options. 

Anne Fonda, Content Writer

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A Content Writer with Trane Technologies, Anne Fonda researches topics and writes for Trane® and associated residential HVAC brands. She works in collaboration with Trane Technologies subject matter experts, offering easy-to-understand, informative content on complex topics. Her goal is to help consumers make informed decisions on the products and services they need.

She has written for HVAC and other service provider websites for over 16 years. Before transitioning to web content writing, Anne had a 14-year stint as an award-winning journalist. She graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.

When she’s not working, Anne enjoys playing word games, reading, gardening, spending time with family, and visiting gardens and museums.

Expert review by Kimberly Sexton, Senior Systems Engineer