People often assume that air conditioners consumer refrigerant they way a car consumes oil. That’s not the case. Refrigerant actually is supposed to stay at certain set levels dictated by the make and model of your air conditioner. It cycles through an endless loop within the system, first releasing heat outside of your home, then pulling heat from the air within the unit, which can then be blown into your home with a fan. Leaks aren’t supposed to happen, but unfortunately they do. The good news is there’s steps you can take to address the problem the right way.
Why is Leaking Refrigerant a Problem?
There’s a reason why your air conditioner specifies a certain type and amount of refrigerant. Without those precise levels, the delicate process by which the air is cooled gets thrown off. Ice would form on the coils, forming an insulating barrier between the remaining refrigerant and the air it needs to cool. That forces the system to work harder to cool the air, raising your monthly rates and increasing the chances of a serious breakdown. Eventually, the system will shut down and you’ll likely be looking at a very expensive repair bill.
What to Look for with Leaking Refrigerant
You can sometimes spot leaking refrigerant by hissing of bubbling sounds coming from your system. But you can almost always tell be checking the evaporator coils for frost. Even if leaking refrigerant is not the cause, frost on the coils means bad news. Never try to scrape off the frost. It won’t solve the problem and you will likely damage the coils as a result: making for a very expensive repair call. Instead, shut the system off and call in a trained technician to seal the leak and recharge refrigerant levels.
A Professional Heating and Air serves the whole of Springfield, LA, so call us today!