Keeping the inside of your home comfortable during the summertime can be difficult if your HVAC unit isn’t running at peak efficiency. Your HVAC unit needs a few basic things to produce a steady supply of cool air. Refrigerant is perhaps the most important component needed to cool the air your HVAC unit draws in from outdoors.
Refrigerant is a chemical compound designed to absorb the heat found in outdoor air. Once this hot air is exposed to the refrigerant, it will get cooled down. A refrigerant leak can wreak havoc on your residential HVAC system. Below is information on how to detect refrigerant leaks and what usually causes these leaks.
Difficulty Cooling the Inside of Your Home
One of the most common problems a homeowner will encounter when refrigerant leaks are present is uncomfortable indoor temperatures. Without a consistent flow of cool air, the internal temperature of your home will rise steadily. If refrigerant levels are low, your unit’s ability to absorb the heat from outdoor air will be compromised.
If the cooling ability of your HVAC system has been reduced substantially, then it is probably a sign that refrigerant leaks are present. The faster you can get a professional to fix a refrigerant leak, the easier it will be to beat the heat of summer.
Your Evaporator Coils Are Freezing
The evaporator coil located on the inside portion of your HVAC unit is where the majority of your refrigerant is contained. As the warm air from outside is blown on this coil, the refrigerant it contains will start the process of removing heat. If there isn’t enough refrigerant for this cooling process to occur, lots of condensation will be created.
This condensation will then start to freeze. If you open the door to the inside portion of your HVAC unit to find an ice-covered evaporator coil, then you need to take action. The team at Honest HVAC can diagnose and fix your refrigerant leaks in a timely manner.
What Causes AC Refrigerant Leaks?
The only way to address refrigerant leaks is by finding the underlying issues that caused them. While this might sound like an easy thing to do, it is actually quite difficult. Hiring professionals to pinpoint the cause of your refrigerant leak is the best way to avoid further damage to your unit. Weakened connections due to wear and tear on your HVAC system are one of the most common causes of refrigerant leaks.
Pinhole leaks in your AC coils can also allow refrigerant to leak out. Vibrations for your compressor motor can also weaken refrigerant line connections. This is why you need to make sure the outdoor portion of your HVAC unit is properly sealed. Improperly installed refrigerant lines can also cause problems over time. Refrigerant line installation mistakes tend to happen when a homeowner attempts to do this complex work on their own.
If you are dealing with any of the problems mentioned above, it is time to reach out to professionals to get your refrigerant leaks fixed.