What to Do if Your AC Is Leaking Refrigerant

One of the most common problems people experience with their home air conditioning systems is a refrigerant leak, so it’s critical to know what to do if your AC is leaking refrigerant in St. George, UT. Refrigerant is one of the most important parts of any air conditioning system, as its compression and condensation (and thus its heating and cooling cycle) is what creates cool air that gets blown throughout the home. If you start to experience lower levels of refrigerant due to a leak, your system will operate inefficiently and have a difficult time creating enough cold air for your home.

You should never have to refill the refrigerant in your air conditioning system. The refrigerant constantly cycles through the season and never runs out or dries up, even after an offseason of no usage. Your system should be able to continually use it and circulate it throughout the home.

It’s important to be aware of some of the most common signs of a refrigerant leak. These include the following:

• Blowing warm air: If you’ve got your air conditioning turned on and your thermostat set properly to a temperature lower than the interior temperature of your home and you’re still getting only warm air flowing through the system, this could be a sign that you have a refrigerant leak that must be addressed.
• Lack of airflow: Low airflow is another common sign of a refrigerant leak. If you don’t have enough refrigerant in the system, then the system is not going to produce as much cool air as it would if it were properly and sufficiently stocked with refrigerant.
• Higher electric bills: Have you noticed a sudden spike in your monthly electric bill? An air conditioning system that does not have enough refrigerant will have to work much harder to keep your home cool, and this means longer hours of operation and more energy expended on the cooling process. This, in turn, means higher bills until you resolve the issue. You should compare your energy costs month over month to see if you can determine when the costs started to spike.
• Ice buildup: If you see ice starting to form on the evaporator coil or copper lines, this is a very common sign of a refrigerant leak. When the system doesn’t have enough refrigerant, the copper lines and evaporator coils won’t be able to absorb as much heat as normal, which will result in a buildup of condensation that could cause the lines to freeze.
• Longer cooling times: If it takes much longer for your home to get cool than it normally does, this could be a sign of a refrigerant leak.

So, what should you do if you believe you have a refrigerant leak in your air conditioning system? Ultimately, the only thing you can really do is call in a professional. A refrigerant leak is not a task you can address yourself—refrigerant can be dangerous to work with, and the process of finding and addressing leaks should be left to someone with the proper tools and training.

For more information about what to do if your AC is leaking refrigerant in St. George, UT, contact an experienced HVAC contractor at Calaway Heating & Air Conditioning today.

Categorised in: Air Conditioning Maintenance

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