San Antonio · Refrigerant Leak Repair Repair · Family-Owned Since 1996
Refrigerant doesn't get used up. If your AC is low, it's leaking somewhere. We find the leak with an electronic detector, repair what's repairable, and tell you straight when replacement is the smarter call.
Typical price
$349–$2,800+
Time to fix
2–6 hours for detection + repair
Urgency
High — refrigerant loss kills compressors over time
Your AC is a sealed system. The refrigerant that came in it from the factory should still be in it 20 years later. If yours is low, something is leaking — and just adding more refrigerant every summer is throwing money away (R-410A is around $100–$200 per pound right now, and R-22 is way more).
Most leaks are in three places: the indoor evaporator coil (microscopic 'formicary' corrosion pinholes), the outdoor condenser coil (rust or impact damage), or the lineset/connections (vibration over decades). Finding them takes a real electronic leak detector and sometimes a nitrogen pressure test.
Repair pricing depends on where the leak is and how bad. A bad Schrader valve or fitting is $349. An evaporator coil leak usually means coil replacement ($1,400–$2,800). A condenser coil leak on an older R-22 system often makes more sense to replace the whole system. We'll tell you straight which it is.
What it costs in San Antonio
$349–$2,800+ — Leak detection $189. Repair price depends on location. Some leaks aren't worth fixing — we'll tell you when. Our $59 diagnostic is waived when you approve the repair, so you only pay for the fix itself.
If two or more of these sound familiar, it's probably your refrigerant leak repair.
Here's exactly what a Carnes and Sons tech does at your house — no mystery, no upselling.
We check refrigerant levels, superheat, and subcool to confirm the system is actually low (not just dirty).
A heated diode sniffer scans every joint, valve, and coil. We mark any spots that trigger.
For slow leaks the sniffer can't pinpoint, we pull the refrigerant, pressurize with nitrogen, and use bubble soap or hold-pressure to confirm the leak point.
Some leaks (Schrader, fittings) are cheap fixes. Some (evap coil, condenser coil on R-22) are big-ticket. We give you the math on repair vs. system replacement so you can decide.
Get Your Refrigerant Leak Repair Diagnosed Today
Tell us what's happening. We'll text you back in minutes — no call center, no robo-calls.
Leak detection itself is $189 (waived with repair). Repair price depends on location: $349 for a fitting or Schrader valve, $1,400–$2,800 for an evaporator coil, sometimes $5,000+ for a condenser coil where replacement makes more sense.
We can, but we won't recommend it without finding the leak first. R-410A is $100–$200 per pound and rising. Topping off a leaking system every year is throwing money away — and the EPA technically requires leak repair for systems losing significant refrigerant.
1 to 3 hours depending on system size and how slow the leak is. Slow leaks sometimes need a nitrogen pressure test which adds another hour or two.
Rare, but it happens with very slow leaks. In that case we pressurize with nitrogen and let it sit overnight — if pressure holds, the system is tight. If not, we narrow it down section by section.
Recycled R-22 is available but expensive — often $100+/lb. New R-22 production stopped in 2020. If your system uses R-22 and has a real leak, replacement is usually the right call.
R-454B (Puron Advance) is replacing R-410A in new systems starting 2025. Existing R-410A systems are fine to repair — refrigerant is still being made, just at higher prices.
Yes, assuming the leak is the only problem. We always recharge to the manufacturer's exact spec by weight and verify superheat and subcool before we leave.
For residential, no — but EPA Section 608 requires technicians to repair leaks above certain thresholds. We follow that. It also protects you from throwing money at a leaking system.
We're based in Stone Oak and roll trucks across San Antonio and the surrounding Hill Country every day.
License TACLB29435E · Family-Owned Since 1996
Cities & neighborhoods we serve
San Antonio · Stone Oak · Alamo Heights · Hollywood Park · Hill Country Village · Shavano Park · Castle Hills · Leon Valley · Helotes · Boerne · Fair Oaks Ranch · Bulverde · Timberwood Park · Garden Ridge · Schertz · Cibolo · Selma · Universal City · Live Oak · Converse · Windcrest · New Braunfels
No call center. The owner or one of his sons picks up.
(210) 600-5091