Quick answer
Refrigerant leak repair means locating where refrigerant is escaping, usually at the evaporator coil, a flare fitting, a Schrader valve or a rubbed line set, then repairing it, pulling a deep vacuum and recharging to the manufacturer's specification. In Miami, formicary corrosion of copper coils is one of the most common causes.
Written by Sylvia Denton, HVAC Guides Editor. Updated 2026-09-22.
A sealed refrigerant system should hold the same charge for its whole life. When a Miami homeowner tells us the unit gets a recharge every June, that is a leak being paid for over and over. Each recharge costs money, lets the compressor run hot and underfed between visits, and releases refrigerant that the EPA now regulates more tightly than ever.
Finding a leak takes patience. We start with pressure readings and superheat to confirm the system really is low, then work through an electronic detector, bubble solution on fittings, and when needed a nitrogen pressure test or UV dye. The most common locations we find in Miami-Dade are the indoor evaporator coil, Schrader valve cores, flare nuts on mini-splits, and line sets that rub against a wall bracket or were nicked by a lawn trimmer.
Once the leak is located, you get the options in writing: repair in place, replace the component, or, on an older system still running R-22 or a badly corroded coil, put that money toward replacement instead.
