A refrigerant leak is one type of problem that you might have with your air conditioner, but your air conditioning technician in Edison, NJ can test your systems to be sure. Some people make the mistake of adding more refrigerant before fixing the leak, which ultimately ends up wasting more refrigerant. Your air conditioning repair professional can use a couple of different types of tests to detect a leak, and he or she can then begin repairs. Keep reading to learn about electronic detection, dye testing, and nitrogen detection to find out how your HVAC professional can find leaks.

Electronic Detection

Experienced air conditioning technicians should know how to perform different types of tests to check for a refrigerant leak, but the electronic leak detector is a go-to tool in many situations. An electronic leak detector test tends to be on the cheaper side, although it’s not always the most reliable option. Your air conditioning technician will use an electronic leak detector to detect signs of refrigerant that has made its way to the exterior components of the system. Unfortunately, this tool needs to be able to touch its target in order to test it, so it’s not always practical.

Dye Testing

As is the case with electronic detection, there are specific situations that might call for dye testing. You should also be certain that the dye you are using is safe for your air conditioner. Your air conditioning technician can add a special kind of dye to your AC unit, which works its way throughout the system. Then, using an ultraviolet light, your technician can see where the refrigerant has been leaking and address the issue.

Nitrogen Detection and Bubbling

Although not as inexpensive as an electronic leak detector test, a nitrogen leak detector test may provide more insight regarding the problem. An air conditioning technician replaces remaining refrigerant with compressed nitrogen, which allows you to actually hear any existing leaks. Bubbling is an additional step in the process, where your HVAC repair specialist adds soap bubbles to the system in order to check for air bubbles amongst them.