One of the most important and helpful air conditioning services you can have done is to get your AC's refrigerant checked annually. This is usually done at the same time you have an annual tuneup, so it's easy to have done and it could save money and help your AC be more efficient. Here's why checking refrigerant is an important AC service, signs refrigerant is low, and what your AC service might do about low refrigerant.
Why You Want Your AC's Refrigerant Checked
The only way to know if your refrigerant is full is for the AC technician to check it with a gauge. If it's low, you want to know so the problem can be fixed. A refrigerant leak can be through a tiny pinhole. That means your refrigerant will leak out so slowly that you may not even suspect something is going on, but the performance of your AC will deteriorate.
Your AC will need to run longer to reach the set thermostat temperature, and that means your power bill will keep getting higher. Most of the time, when your refrigerant is checked, the level is fine, and that gives you peace of mind that your AC is functioning properly to cool your home.
When To Suspect Your AC's Refrigerant Is Low
A sign you should call an air conditioning service to check the refrigerant is when your AC is running, but your home isn't cooling down very well. If the refrigerant is low, it might cool your house some, but it won't work optimally. Eventually, the refrigerant may get so low it won't cool your home at all even though the AC turns on and off.
Another sign the refrigerant is low is when your AC runs all the time. This happens because the thermostat temperature isn't being met. Also, low refrigerant can cause your refrigeration lines and coils to ice over. When you see ice forming, call your air conditioning service for help, because that's a sign something is wrong.
What An AC Technician Might Do
If the air conditioning technician checks the refrigerant and finds that it's low, they'll suspect a leak. AC refrigerant is in a sealed system so the only way the level can drop is if it is leaking out. A leak can be difficult to find if it's a tiny pinhole, but the technician can find it and then plug the leak. When the leak is repaired, the technician can fill the refrigerant back to the proper level. Then your AC should be back to cooling your house quickly and to the temperature you set.
Contact an air conditioning services company to learn more.
Share21 March 2023
Every summer, I agonized over energy bills that would shoot into the stratosphere as a result of my efforts to keep cool in the heat. Every time I turned the temperature down, my bills increased. This summer, I decided to take some of the control over my energy bill back. I installed reflective film on my windows that reduced the amount of light and heat coming into the house. I started serving more cold meals or asking my husband to barbecue outside, so that my air conditioner didn't have to compete with the hot stove, and I started doing laundry at night to reduce appliance heat in the house at peak times. I also had ceiling fans installed. So far, the difference in my bill has been tremendous. This blog is a way for me to explore other ways to reduce energy drain during the summer months.