Don’t let the title of this post mislead you. We are not suggesting that you should fix refrigerant leaks on your own immediately. Rather, we’re telling you that you need to contact a member of our team to fix them as soon as possible. Why? Because running an air conditioner that is low on refrigerant is going to put your system, your budget, and your comfort at serious risk. And this is definitely a job for HVAC professionals only.
When it comes to your air conditioning in Avon, OH, our team is absolutely the one that you want handling the repairs. What you need to do is learn how to recognize the signs of a potential refrigerant leak to begin with. Only then are you going to be able to respond to the threat in a timely fashion. Read on to learn more about what the refrigerant in your air conditioner actually does, as well as signs of trouble.
Your AC Depends Upon a Proper Refrigerant Charge
Your air conditioner needs refrigerant in order to do its job of cooling your home. It is just that simple. And no, it doesn’t need refrigerant the same way that your car needs gasoline in order to get you from one place to another. Your AC does not consume refrigerant—and it should never need a “top-off.” If your air conditioner is low on refrigerant, it’s more like waking up to a car that suddenly has no oil but a big slick beneath it. There’s a leak.
Refrigerant operates in a closed loop system in your air conditioner. A low charge really means one of two things. Either the unit was not sufficiently charged to begin with, which is highly unusual but can happen, or it has a leak—which is the most likely scenario. If there is a leak, you need an HVAC technician to pinpoint its location and to recharge the system to the proper level.
What Happens If Refrigerant Is Low?
Your system is going to have a much harder time than it should in trying to cool your home, that’s what. If there is not enough refrigerant in your air conditioner, it is going to run in longer cycles as it struggles to cool your home sufficiently. When that happens, you’ll see an increase in energy costs due to the longer, harder run times. That means you’re paying more for less comfort, too, because your system is not going to perform optimally in this condition.
Your coil could also freeze up if heat transfer is impeded enough, creating an insulating layer of ice that will stress the system even more. Let the issue continue this way for long enough, and you’re likely going to wind up needing a brand new compressor—at which point you might just be looking at replacing the AC system entirely. Suffice to say, this all means that you want to pick up the phone right away!
Schedule your AC repairs with Westland Heating & Air Conditioning.
