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Your air conditioner runs nonstop but your home stays warm. You notice ice building up on the refrigerant lines outside. Your latest electric bill made you do a double-take. These are telltale signs of an evaporator coil leak which is something we see all the time in South Florida’s humid, salt heavy air.
When your evaporator coil leaks, refrigerant escapes from your system. Without enough refrigerant, your AC can’t cool your home properly. Living near the coast makes this problem worse. The salty air around places like Fern Forest Nature Center speeds up the metal corrosion that causes these leaks. This guide walks you through how to fix AC evaporator leak problems in Pompano Beach homes, what repair options actually work and what they cost, and when it makes more sense to replace the coil instead of patching it up.
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You really can’t fix an evaporator coil leak yourself because it requires professional equipment and an EPA certification. Technicians have three ways to handle leaks depending on how bad they are. A temporary refrigerant recharge buys you some time, usually a few weeks to a couple months. Injecting sealant into the system costs $400-$800 but doesn’t always hold up long-term. The permanent fix is replacing the whole coil, which runs $1,200-$3,700 with parts and labor here in Pompano Beach.
Most of these leaks happen because of formic acid corrosion. Everyday things like cleaning products and humidity create a chemical reaction with the copper tubing in your coil. Coastal areas see this problem more often. Our licensed technicians track down leaks using electronic detectors or UV dye that glows under blacklight. Once they find the problem, they’ll tell you whether your system, especially if it’s 10+ years old, needs just a coil or a complete replacement.
Get a free diagnostic check from Filterbuy HVAC Solutions at 2521 NE 4th Ave, Pompano Beach. Call (754) 714-4666 to schedule your inspection.
Catching a leak early saves you money down the road. Your system gives off pretty clear signals when refrigerant starts escaping. The most obvious sign is when your AC runs constantly but rooms stay uncomfortably warm. Even though your thermostat is set correctly, the airflow feels weak. When refrigerant levels drop, your AC can’t pull heat out of the air like it should.
You might spot ice or frost on the copper lines near your air handler, or even on the indoor coil itself. This happens because dropping refrigerant pressure messes with the temperature balance in your system. There’s often a faint sweet or chemical odor coming from your vents too. That’s refrigerant leaking into your home. It’s subtle but once you notice it, you can’t miss it.
Your outdoor unit might keep cycling on and off more than usual, or sometimes it won’t start at all. Low refrigerant pressure triggers safety switches that shut everything down to prevent damage. And if your electric bills went up significantly even though you’re using the AC the same amount, that’s another red flag. The system works overtime trying to reach the temperature you set, running longer and longer cycles to make up for the missing refrigerant.
Household chemicals create the biggest problem for evaporator coils. When you clean, paint, or bring in new furniture, VOCs get released into your air. Mix those with Florida’s constant humidity and copper tubing, and you get formic acid. That acid slowly eats through the coil from the inside out. Our year-round humidity speeds the whole process up.
Living close to the ocean in Pompano Beach means salt particles float in the air and settle on your AC equipment. They work their way into tiny openings in your system. Homes near Pompano Pier and other coastal neighborhoods deal with faster corrosion than places further inland. It takes years, but the damage adds up. When air handlers aren’t secured properly, they vibrate during operation. That constant movement stresses the coil connections and tubing. Eventually small cracks form where the copper pipes connect together.
In humid climates, condensate drains clog up with algae and gunk. When water can’t drain properly, it backs up into the pan. That standing water sits against your coil for hours or days at a time, causing corrosion and deterioration at the coil’s base. Evaporator coils in South Florida typically last 10-15 years. The combination of heat and humidity wears materials down faster than in cooler places. Small leaks commonly show up in systems that have passed the 12 year mark.
A qualified technician follows a specific process to find refrigerant leaks. Expect the inspection to take about an hour depending on how easy it is to access your system. We use handheld detectors that pick up refrigerant molecules in the air. The device scans along your evaporator coil and all the refrigerant lines, beeping when it senses even trace amounts of escaping gas. This works great for active leaks but might miss really slow ones.
For leaks that are tough to locate, we inject fluorescent dye into your refrigerant system. The dye circulates through the coil along with whatever refrigerant is left. After letting the system run for 15-20 minutes, we scan everything with a blacklight. The dye glows bright yellow-green right where the leak is, revealing pinhole leaks you’d never see otherwise. We also add nitrogen to your system and watch the pressure gauges. If the pressure drops, that confirms you have a leak. This test tells us how severe the leak is, which helps estimate repair costs.
Measuring how much refrigerant is still in your system gives us clues about how long the leak has been active. Systems running on very low refrigerants might have multiple leak points scattered around. The technician also checks how old your equipment is and what kind of shape it’s in overall. We test airflow, inspect electrical components, and take a close look at the compressor. This assessment helps us give you honest advice about repair versus replacement. A 12 year old system with a major leak often needs a full replacement rather than sinking money into an expensive coil repair.
Understanding the warning signs is one thing, but knowing what caused them helps you prevent the same problem next time. Our certified technicians provide you with AC repair services in Pompano Beach and throughout surrounding neighborhoods from Lighthouse Point down to Deerfield Beach.
Once we’ve diagnosed your evaporator leak, you’ll need to decide between repair and replacement. Adding refrigerant without fixing the actual leak costs $200-$500 per visit. This only buys you a few weeks to a couple months before you’re back in the same boat. These repeated recharges add up fast. This route only makes sense if you’re planning to replace your whole system in the next few months anyway.
Technicians can inject special sealant into your refrigerant lines for $400-$800. The sealant travels through your system and tries to plug small leaks from the inside. Success with this method is hit or miss for the long haul. It works better on tiny pinhole leaks but can’t handle bigger damage. You’ll know pretty quickly, usually within a few weeks, whether it worked or not.
A complete coil replacement costs $1,200-$3,700 here in Pompano Beach. The price depends on your system’s size and how hard it is to get to the coil. Replacing it gives you a permanent fix backed by warranty coverage. The job takes 4-6 hours because technicians have to access your air handler and do the work carefully. A new coil also brings your efficiency back up compared to a corroded one.
If your system was installed before 2010, it uses R-22 refrigerant. They stopped making R-22 back in 2020, so now it’s expensive. It typically runs $90-$150 per pound. Depending on your system size, you might need several pounds for a recharge. That adds a lot to your total repair cost. R-22 prices are only going up as supplies run out. Many homeowners end up replacing their entire AC when it’s over 10 years old. New systems run $4,500-$8,000 installed but come with full warranties. You also get modern efficiency that cuts your monthly power bills.
Here’s a chart that will help you decide the differences between repair options:
| Repair Option | Cost Range | How Long It Lasts | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigerant Recharge | $200-$500 | Weeks to months | Systems being replaced soon |
| Sealant Injection | $400-$800 | Limited success | Small pinhole leaks |
| Coil Replacement | $1,200-$3,700 | 10-15 years | Systems under 10 years old |
| Full System | $4,500-$8,000 | 15-20 years | Systems over 10 years old |
Request a transparent pricing estimate for your specific system at Filterbuy HVAC Solutions. We provide free quotes with no surprise charges.
Finding one leak doesn’t mean you found all of them. Evaporator coils sit in dark, cramped spaces inside your air handler. The same corrosion that created your first leak is attacking other parts of the coil too. Technicians might seal one spot only to have another leak pop up a few weeks later. We had a homeowner in Cresthaven spend $1,400 on three separate leak repairs. That’s $200 more than a brand new coil would have cost from the start.
Federal regulations say HVAC companies have to fix leaks, not just keep adding refrigerants. We can’t legally keep recharging a system when we know it has leaks. The EPA put these rules in place to protect the environment. Corroded coils drag down your system’s cooling power. New coils restore full efficiency and start lowering your energy bills. Those savings really add up during Florida summers when your AC runs almost constantly. Many homeowners make back their coil replacement cost through cheaper electric bills in just a few years.
New evaporator coils come with 5-10 year parts warranties. If something else goes wrong, you’re covered. Patched leaks don’t come with any warranty protection. You’re on the hook for full price if the repair fails next month. Temporary fixes mean calling for service every few months when refrigerant runs low again. Each visit costs money and messes up your schedule. Replacement stops the cycle of breakdowns and urgent repairs.
Federal law says technicians must hold EPA Section 608 certification (1) to work with refrigerants. This certification proves they know how to handle these substances safely. Always ask to see credentials before letting anyone service your AC. Uncertified technicians can’t legally buy or handle refrigerants.
When your AC fails during summer, you need help fast. Companies based right here in Pompano Beach get to you quicker than ones traveling from far away. We serve neighborhoods from Pompano Pier to Cresthaven to areas near Fern Forest Nature Center. Same-day service keeps your family comfortable when emergencies hit. Ask for free estimates before agreeing to any repairs. Honest companies give you written quotes that break down all the costs. You should know what you’re paying for parts, labor, and refrigerant before any work starts.
Pompano Beach homes face challenges from salt air that inland properties don’t deal with. Regular maintenance catches corrosion early before it turns into expensive emergencies. Technicians who work in coastal areas regularly know which coil sections typically fail first. Look for EPA Section 608 certified technicians, local Pompano Beach presence with fast response times, free written estimates with itemized costs, experience with coastal Florida systems, positive reviews from nearby homeowners, 24/7 emergency service availability, and clear warranty terms on repairs and parts.
We serve Pompano Beach from our location at 2521 NE 4th Ave, Pompano Beach, FL 33064. We can often provide same-day AC repair services throughout the area. Our EPA certified technicians understand the coastal corrosion problems that hit homes here and give you transparent pricing on every job. Call us at (754) 714-4666 for 24/7 emergency AC repair or to schedule a free inspection.
(1) https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/articles/residential-hvac-installation-practices-review-research-findings
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