What a Refrigerant Leak Actually Is
Refrigerant is the working fluid that lets a heat pump move heat — pulling warmth from outdoor air to heat your home in winter, and removing heat from indoor air to cool it in summer. It circulates through a sealed loop of coils and lines and, in a healthy system, is never consumed. You should never need to 'top it up' the way you add oil to a car.
That's the key point: a heat pump doesn't use refrigerant. If the charge is low, it's because it leaked out somewhere. A leak can develop at a corroded coil, a vibration-worn joint, a loose flare fitting, or a factory weld. Even a slow leak gradually starves the system, hurting performance and, eventually, damaging the compressor — the most expensive part of the whole unit.
Warning Signs of a Refrigerant Leak
Weak heating or cooling. The system runs but the air isn't as warm (or as cool) as it used to be, and rooms never quite reach the set temperature.
The unit runs constantly. With less refrigerant to move heat, the heat pump runs longer and longer cycles trying to keep up, which also drives up your electricity bill.
Ice on the coils or refrigerant lines. Low refrigerant drops the coil temperature below freezing, so frost and ice build up on the indoor coil or on the copper lines — even when it isn't that cold out.
Hissing or bubbling sounds. A gaseous leak can make a faint hiss; a leak in the liquid line can sound like gurgling or bubbling.
Higher energy bills with no other explanation. A struggling, long-cycling system quietly costs more to run.
Any one of these can have other causes too, which is exactly why proper diagnosis matters — guessing leads to wasted money.
Why You Need a Certified Technician
This is the part to take seriously: in Canada, handling refrigerant is restricted to certified technicians. Working with refrigerant requires Ozone Depletion Prevention (ODP) certification and proper equipment, both for safety and to comply with federal environmental regulations. Releasing refrigerant into the atmosphere is illegal and harmful.
Beyond the legal side, it's simply not a DIY job. Finding a leak takes specialized tools — electronic leak detectors, nitrogen pressure testing, or dye tracing. Repairing it may require brazing copper under controlled conditions. And recharging the system to the correct level demands precise measurement; an overcharged or undercharged system runs poorly and wears out fast.
There's no hardware-store fix here, and the 'stop-leak' cans sold for cars are not appropriate for home heat pumps. The right move is always to bring in a qualified pro.
What Repair Involves
A proper refrigerant-leak repair follows clear steps. The technician first confirms the system is low and locates the leak using electronic detection, a pressure test, or dye. Pinpointing the exact spot is essential — recharging without finding the leak just means the new refrigerant leaks out again.
Next, the technician repairs the leak — re-flaring or tightening a fitting, brazing a coil joint, or in some cases recommending coil replacement if the leak is in an unrepairable section. After the repair, the system is pressure-tested and evacuated to remove air and moisture, then recharged to the manufacturer's specified amount by weight.
Finally, the tech verifies performance — checking pressures, temperatures, and superheat/subcooling — to confirm the system is operating correctly. In some cases, especially with an older coil that has leaked badly or a compressor that's been running low for a long time, the technician may advise that replacement is more cost-effective than ongoing repair, and will walk you through the options honestly.
Book a Certified Heat Pump Tech
Heat pumps for GasBoilers.ca are serviced by our parent company, CanroHeat, whose certified technicians handle refrigerant work, heat pumps, furnaces, and water heaters across Greater Vancouver. If you suspect a refrigerant leak — weak heating, constant running, icing, or hissing — call 604-359-1081.
Because refrigerant repairs vary widely depending on where the leak is and how much damage has occurred, costs are given as a range after diagnosis rather than a flat figure. Call 604-359-1081 for an exact quote once a technician has assessed your system. Catching a leak early protects your compressor and keeps the overall repair as affordable as possible.