The correct refrigerant level in your home’s HVAC system is a major factor in maintaining optimum indoor comfort. It also impacts the monthly cost of operation and helps ensure that you get maximum service life from system components. Refrigerant is a substance that has almost magical properties. It can morph from cool vapor to a superheated liquid and then back again as it continuously circulates through the system, absorbing heat in one phase, moving it to another component, then releasing the heat.
Air conditioning is the most familiar use of refrigerant, as it absorbs indoor heat and moves it outdoors to cool the house. However, refrigerant is just as useful in today’s heat pumps that in winter reverse the flow of refrigerant and warm the house by moving outdoor heat inside.
Signs of Refrigerant Loss
When the refrigerant level in an HVAC component drops too low, certain symptoms are familiar to a qualified technician. These include:
- Poor cooling performance in summer mode and a chilly house during winter heat-pump operation.
- Ice formation on coils. When refrigerant is low, the indoor evaporator coil will ice up in AC operation during the summer. In heat-pump mode during winter, conversely, the outdoor coil will accumulate excessive ice.
- Because low refrigerant causes the AC or heat pump to run excessively long cycles, monthly operating costs may rise due to increased electrical consumption.
- Insufficient refrigerant causes the compressor — the most expensive component in the HVAC system — to overheat and fail prematurely.
- Sensors in the system that detect low refrigerant may automatically shut down the unit to prevent damage to critical components.
What To Do When Your Refrigerant Level Is Low
Handling refrigerant requires special certification that’s not available to the average homeowner. Testing refrigerant pressure and identifying and repairing leaks should be left to a qualified HVAC technician who has the advanced technology to do the job. Once the leak is repaired, the refrigerant charge can be restored to proper specifications for efficient and reliable operation.
For more about issues related to refrigerant level in your air conditioner or heat pump, talk to the professionals at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area