How Do I Know if My Air Conditioner Refrigerant is Leaking?
The refrigerant in your air conditioner is an important part of the unit working to keep your home cool. It is meant to recycle through the system and does not naturally run out or go low. If you notice that it is going low, this means that you will need to check for another problem. But what are some of the signs that the refrigerant is leaking from your air conditioner?
There are different ways to tell that the refrigerant in your air conditioner is leaking. Some of these include that the ac unit has low airflow or that the AC is going to blow out warm air, there is ice building up within the air conditioning unit, your electric bills are higher than normal, and your house is taking longer to cool down than normal. When you notice that there is one or more of these signs present, then it is time to call in a professional to help fix your air conditioner, say the experts in AC repair in Phoenix, American Home Water & Air.
Leaking refrigerant is never a good thing. It can cause the air conditioner to work harder than normal and can make it wear out fast, leaving you to replace it with something new. Let’s take a closer look at some of the signs that your air conditioner refrigerant is leaking and some of the steps you can take to help fix this problem.
How Do I Know if My Air Conditioner Refrigerant is Leaking?
It is important to check whether your air conditioner refrigerant is leaking. This can cause some damage to the air conditioner unit, and you will need to get it replaced as soon as possible to protect your unit. Some of the ways that you can check that your refrigerant is leaking out of the air conditioner include:
Low Airflow
You should get a decent amount of airflow out of your air conditioning unit. But if the unit is low on the refrigerant, it is not going to be able to produce the amount of cool air that it should. This may be one of the first signs that you get that the air conditioner is leaking refrigerant. You may even notice that the home is going to take a lot longer to cool down, or it is going to blow warm, rather than cool air, out of the registers.
Ice Build-Up
You will notice that there is some ice building up in your air conditioner if it is dealing with the problem of not having enough refrigerant. This ice is going to show up on the copper lines or the evaporator coils. When the system does not have enough refrigerant to cool the home, either the evaporator coils or the copper lines will struggle to absorb the amount of heat that they should. This will result in some condensation building up and can cause the coils or the lines to freeze as a result.
Your Electric Bills Get High
Another sign that you may notice is that your electric bills have started to get higher than normal. When the air conditioner has a leak and is losing refrigerant, it means that the whole unit is going to need to work much harder in order to cool down the home. All of this extra work is going to use up more energy. And that extra use of energy is going to mean that your electricity bill will be higher than normal.
You Notice the Home Takes Longer to Cool Down
There are times when the air conditioning unit is going to take longer to cool down because it is really warm outside. This is normal. But if it consistently takes a long time for the home to cool down, even when it is not that warm outside, then it is a sign that the unit is leaking. Your refrigerant is going to work to absorb the heat from the inside of the home, and then it will move that heat to the outside. If the system does not contain enough of the refrigerant it needs, then it will struggle to cool down your home the way that it should.
How to Handle Leaking Air Conditioner Refrigerant
Once you start to notice some of the signs above, it is time to look at the steps that you can take to fix the problem and keep your air conditioner working well again. Once the refrigerant starts to leak, it is not going to fix itself again. Refrigerant exposure is bad for the air conditioner, and it can be dangerous. Getting help as soon as possible is going to help fix the problem and protect your air conditioner. Make sure to call in a professional who can take a look at the ac unit and ensure that your unit is going to work well for years to come.
