House with 2 floors, 2 condenser units outside, whole system was new installed in 2010. In Sept 2022 we were getting warm air in the 1st floor vents (2nd floor still fine) so we called a company who added 2lbs of R410a and also leak-stop/dye in the system. It worked all through summer 2023 but toward Sept 2023, it stopped being cold again. Obviously a leak somewhere right? I didn't call them again because I thought they'd probably just charge the system again for more money when I didn't need the AC.
So I'm calling the company again now because it's still blowing warm air, and they're quoting me $X for service call + dye + leak stop again (no R410a). Shouldn't the previous dye still be there - they said no? I tried using a blacklight myself and didn't see any obvious leaks at the handler in the attic nor at the condensor coils. Another hvac company tells me the dye should still be there but it needs to be mixed with freon before I can really see it. He's going to charge $X for the service call and find the previous dye. I don't know who to believe anymore and how to best proceed without being charged hundreds again just to end up in the same place I am now (before more refrigerant is added).
I also put a set of gauges on the unit outside and [ensuring the manifold valves closed and hose on tight] the pressure read 0, then -30 (yes negative) when I turned the condenser on, so I'm not sure if it's a clear sign of a huge leak or what. Any suggestions on how best to proceed / who to proceed (from above) with?
So I'm calling the company again now because it's still blowing warm air, and they're quoting me $X for service call + dye + leak stop again (no R410a). Shouldn't the previous dye still be there - they said no? I tried using a blacklight myself and didn't see any obvious leaks at the handler in the attic nor at the condensor coils. Another hvac company tells me the dye should still be there but it needs to be mixed with freon before I can really see it. He's going to charge $X for the service call and find the previous dye. I don't know who to believe anymore and how to best proceed without being charged hundreds again just to end up in the same place I am now (before more refrigerant is added).
I also put a set of gauges on the unit outside and [ensuring the manifold valves closed and hose on tight] the pressure read 0, then -30 (yes negative) when I turned the condenser on, so I'm not sure if it's a clear sign of a huge leak or what. Any suggestions on how best to proceed / who to proceed (from above) with?
