Low refrigerant is one of the more common causes of repair needs for air conditioning systems. You most likely won’t see a refrigerant leak, but there are symptoms of which you should be aware when it comes to your air conditioning in Richmond Heights, FL.
A Closed System
Your air conditioner is a closed system; in other words, it doesn’t require a fuel like oil in order to run. All your air conditioner’s components are housed in either the indoor or outdoor unit, and the refrigerant, the chemical used in cooling the air, travels in a continuous loop; this means the refrigerant level never changes for the life of your system – unless a leak occurs.
Signs of Low Refrigerant
Refrigerant leaks can start out quite small, but one thing you can count on is that they will get worse over time. Here are some signs that your refrigerant may have sprung a leak:
- Warm Air – when the refrigerant is low, the heating and cooling process within your system can’t work properly. The result can be warm air blowing into your system because the air isn’t being conditioned.
- Icing – low refrigerant means that certain parts of your air conditioner are staying too hot while others are staying too cold. This is because the heat release isn’t occurring as it should due to the lower level of refrigerant. When one area of your AC is very warm and the other is cold, condensation can develop – but because the cold part is very cold, that condensation freezes, causing ice to develop on your air conditioner.
- A/C Won’t Turn On – some systems have a safety switch that triggers when the refrigerant in the system runs low. The switch is designed to stop your air conditioner from running if the refrigerant drops to a specific level. If your AC has one of these switches, and there is a refrigerant leak, your system may not turn on.
Don’t Just Recharge – Get It Fixed
Simply recharging your refrigerant isn’t enough to fix your problem – the leak needs to be repaired. Otherwise, you are refilling your refrigerant that will just leak back out. Refrigerant leaks can be challenging to find, and it’s important to know what you are doing when repairing a refrigerant leak. The bottom line: it’s best to have a professional check and repair any issues you may be experiencing with the refrigerant in your air conditioner.
Think you may have a refrigerant leak? Call Air On Demand today and schedule an appointment with one of our Richmond Heights air conditioning experts.