If your home air conditioner has a freon leak, can the gases leak into the house causing illness?

Answer 1

Freon they say can make you sick, but it has never bother me and I cut the lines on about 3 units and it all leaks out in less than a minute and its never bothered me so if it is a slow leak from only one unit then I wouldn't worry about it to much.

Answer 2

Freon Leak Symptoms

Answer 3

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If your home air conditioner has a freon leak, can the gases leak into the house causing illness?

Answer 4

This is theoretically possible, but highly unlikely. The old refrigerant, R-22, under the trade name Freon, contains chlorofluorocarbons, and is a toxic gas. This has recently been replaced with R-410A , (under the name of Puron et al) which doesn't contain the deadly chlorine; but unless your system has been changed in the last 5 years, you probably still have the R-22.

It is illegal to vent Freon into the air, and can result in a fine of up to $25,000.00 per incident, enforced by the E.P.A. It has been theorized that the chemical composition of Freon was a contributing factor in depletion of the ozone layer. But your question is, is it causing illness?

The refrigerant gas is under tremendous pressure, and when released into the air from a leak in the a/c system, it tends to dissipate very quickly; unlike off-gassing from fungi, for example, that can linger and cause severe upper respiratory distress. The notable exception to the potential health hazard of escaping refrigerant is if it is exposed to combustion, like a pilot light. The result of that reaction can be phosgene gas, which is a deadly toxin.

If you are concerned about this possibility, a qualified A/C tech can perform a leak check for you that will pick up mere molecules of leaking refrigerant. I suspect, however, if you or you family are experiencing home-related upper-respiratory symptoms, fungi (mold) is a more likely culprit.

Answer 5

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No, carbon monoxide and natural gas are two different things. Carbon monoxide is produced when a hydrocarbon fuel is not combusted completely. Natural gas is about 96% methane with a small amount of ethane mixed in. It is a colorless and odorless gas. An odorant is added to it to give a garlic like smell to it so you can detect leakage. If you suspect a natural gas leak you should have a qualified service technician come in and perform a leak test. It is fairly simple to do and will quite possibly save your life or home. Natural gas is lighter than air and will rise. It can accumulate in pockets beneath floors or ceilings. All it needs then is a spark or other source of ignition. Often times a pilot light can be blown out and allow small amounts of natural gas to build up. Over a few hours a large amount of the gas can be released. Do not take this matter lightly, it can be extremely dangerous if it is not taken care of.

Answer 6

If the a/c unit is inside, or in the window, then yes, and freon is highly toxic. If the a/c is outside, it depends on whether there is a way for the freon to enter your home. Either way, freon is highly toxic and the leak should be stopped a.s.a.p.

Answer 7

I was exposed to freon at work leaking freon and it made one guy have chest pains shortness of breath and dizziness. Four of us got checked I got a headache from them giving me 100% oxygen not the freon but I was pregnant. I advise you to get out and get it fixed ASAP. Think it will kill you if you do nothing it sucks the oxygen out if I remember correctly.

Answer 8

Chances are extremely remote that you'd even notice. The amount of refrigerant in a system is so small compared to the volume of air in a house it's just very remote that it could happen. If the house were sealed? Umm. Not likely.

Answer 9

yes, although only in large amounts. R-22 or other freon displaces O2 and it would have to be a massive leak to displace enough O2 to make someone ill.

Answer 10

It has been illegal to use freon in a/c, for several years. now!