Is it normal for an aircon to need regular gas top-ups?

No. Air conditioning is a sealed system. Refrigerant circles endlessly between the indoor and outdoor units. If the level drops, there is a leak. It never 'burns up' or gets used up.

Why do contractors offer gas top-ups without fixing the leak?

Finding a micro-leak takes time and diagnostic skill. A top-up is fast and easy to charge for. Many contractors treat it as a quick fix rather than solving the root cause.

How do you find a refrigerant leak?

We start by checking the most common failure points — the mechanical flare joints at the indoor and outdoor units. We use pressure tests and specialized bubble solutions to visually identify the exact point of gas escape.

The Refrigerant Top-Up Loop

A client paid for three gas top-ups in 12 months because contractors told them older units naturally 'burn gas'. Refrigerant loops are sealed; we found the exact leak and stopped the cycle permanently.

Case Details

LocationSengkang, Singapore

BrandMitsubishi Electric

Unit age8 yrs

ComplaintThe unit blows air but it isn't cold enough. This has happened three times in the last year. It gets cold immediately after a contractor tops up the gas, then slowly loses cooling over 3-4 months.

CauseSlow leak at the outdoor flare joint connection

The Assessment

Refrigerant does not 'burn up' or expire. If a system keeps needing gas, there is a physical hole. We refused to just add gas and started a leak search instead.

System pressure was indeed low, confirming gas loss
Checked indoor coil visually — no obvious oil stains indicating a major rupture
Checked outdoor condenser coil — visually clean
Applied leak detection solution to the outdoor flare joints (where the copper pipes connect to the unit)

The Diagnosis

We found micro-bubbles forming at one of the outdoor flare joints. A flare joint is the mechanical connection between the copper pipe and the compressor unit. It had weakened over time, creating a microscopic gap. It was losing gas very slowly — just enough to drop pressure over 3 months. Every top-up just leaked out again through the same gap.

Evacuate the remaining gas, cut off the old flare, create a fresh copper flare, tighten it to spec, pressure test to confirm it holds, and then pull a vacuum and recharge the system fully by weight. Stop topping up and seal the system.

The Outcome

We completed the flare repair and recharged the system. The unit immediately started cooling normally. It has been 8 months since the repair, and the client has not needed a single top-up. The loop was broken.

Timeline

Month 1Unit loses cooling, first contractor tops up gas

Month 4Cooling fades again, second top-up performed

Month 8Cooling fades again, third top-up performed

Month 12Cooling fades, client contacts Snowflake

Month 12 (same week)Snowflake finds leaking flare joint, repairs it, and recharges system

Present8 months later — cooling remains strong, zero top-ups needed

What This Means for You

Is your aircon stuck in a 'top-up loop'?

Unit loses cooling power every 3 to 6 months
Contractors keep adding gas to 'fix' it
Each top-up works temporarily but the problem always returns

If yes, you have a physical leak. Gas does not expire or burn up. Stop paying for top-ups — demand a proper pressure test and leak repair instead.