Repeat top-ups traced to leaking service valve core
Aircon case in Woodlands, Singapore: cooling loss traced to slow leak at outdoor service valve core after targeted diagnosis checks.
Case details
What client reported
Cooling improved after each gas refill but dropped again later. The same advice was repeated each visit, and the real leak point was still unknown.
What we found
The pattern already suggested active leak behavior, so we focused on leak tracing before any broader repair recommendation.
- System pressure was below expected range
- Main flare joints showed no active bubbling
- Service valve area formed slow, repeatable bubbles
- Leak pattern matched gradual charge loss over repeated cycles
The Schrader valve core at the outdoor service port was not sealing fully. Gas escaped slowly through that point, causing repeated refrigerant loss over time.
What we did
No major component replacement was needed. We replaced the valve core, verified pressure hold, and recharged to restore normal cooling.
Cooling remained stable after valve-core correction and recharge. The repeat top-up cycle stopped.
Timeline
Day 1
Cooling loss repeated after prior top-ups
Day 1
Pressure hold followed by bubble test at service valve showed consistent micro-bubbling
Day 1
Valve-core leak confirmed and corrected
What we learned
Why small service-point leaks create long top-up cycles.
- Repeated top-ups almost always indicate an active leak that was not sealed.
- Service valve cores are small but common leak points in recurring-loss cases.
- Leak-path confirmation plus pressure hold is more useful than another refill.
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