If you suspect that your furnace may be suffering from overheating or has a leaking valve, you should check the evaporator coils. The fins on the evaporator are made of thin metal, and they can bend easily. To clean them properly, you should use hot soapy water, a plastic bristle brush and a shop vac. You may also use a commercial coil cleaning solution.
Before beginning, turn the air conditioner off at the thermostat or circuit breaker. Remove the panel and clean the evaporator coil with a plastic brush. Make sure that you direct the airflow in the opposite direction from the direction of the airflow. Be sure to wear eye protection while cleaning the coils. If you can't afford to pay a professional, use a shop vac to clean the evaporator coils yourself.
Another way to check the evaporator coils is by checking the static pressure drop across the coil. The static pressure drop is the same as the CFM of air flowing across the coil. If the pressure drop is lower than the set limit, it means the air supply to the evaporator coil is not sufficient. For example, a five-ton system should have about 2,000 CFM of air flowing across the coil, that is 400 CFM & 12,000 BTUs per ton.