James Bowman talks to Bryan about leak sealant products, including RectorSeal's Leak Freeze product. James talks about how sealants work, what happens when they don't work, and how to be open-minded without being gullible.

Leak sealants must not react adversely with the components inside a system (oil and refrigerant). Just as mineral oil caused some issues with O-rings, POE oil has additives that cause acid to form on the system. RectorSeal's Leak Freeze is technically an oil that can work with the oil and refrigerant that already exists in an HVAC system. Leak Freeze is a high-performance lubricant that creates a soft bond around a leak and doesn't clog the system.

Many refrigerant-based polymer leak sealants are hard chemicals that technically succeed at sealing leaks. However, these leak sealants are prone to clogging a system when they clot together (via flocculation). If a sealant has hazard pictograms, then there's a good chance it is a refrigerant-based sealant that creates polymers.

When selecting a product, there will always be pros and cons with each product category. There are cases where each type makes sense; you must know your customers, business, and employees to determine the best choice for each unique situation.

In a test that Bryan performed with Leak Freeze on a rubout leak on the high side of the system, he noticed that the sealant managed to stop the leak while the system ran. Then, the system shut off. After that, there was only a slight leak. Generally, the product was meant to work better on formicary corrosion on the low side, but it still proved to be effective at sealing a leak in a challenging location.

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