How do you know when you need freon?

The only way to know if Freon (refrigerant) is needed in an air conditioner is to use tools and gauges to measure the performance of the system. The amount of refrigerant needed is based on the design of the entire system including the size of the unit, length and size of the refrigerant lines, temperatures, and type of refrigerant.

Refrigerant is not consumed. If refrigerant is needed then the system was either not charged correctly when installed or there is a leak. There could be many reasons a system is not cooling.

The correct answer to the question is: A skilled service technician will determined that the system was low on refrigerant by using pressure gauges, thermometers and other tools. There not function a home owner can perform to see if refrigerant is needed.