There may be something to taking the occasional risk but, if you ask us, they’re never worth taking with your air conditioning system! With summers as hot and humid as ours are, you really need your AC to be fully functional at all times. Unfortunately, no one can guarantee that your AC will always function properly. Not truthfully, anyway. If you do find a contractor telling you they’ve got the secret to doing so—find another contractor!
One of the most serious problems that you may encounter with your air conditioning system is a refrigerant leak. Refrigerant plays a vital role in the overall cooling process, so a leak that reduces refrigerant levels cannot be taken lightly. Today, we’ll tell you about some warning signs that can alert you to refrigerant leaks, and what the potential risks of ignoring such signs can be. Remember, our pros are here for you when you need any air conditioning repairs in Atlanta, GA.
Refrigerant Is Responsible for Heat Transference!
That’s right, without refrigerant your air conditioner would not be able to remove heat from your home! While a heater may generate new heat by burning fuel or through electric resistance, an AC can’t create “coolness”. Instead, it transfers heat out of your home through the use of the refrigerant cycle. Indoors, refrigerant evaporates in the appropriately named evaporator coil. As it evaporates, it draws heat out of the air. Then, the warm refrigerant travels to the outdoor unit.
In the outdoor condenser unit, the refrigerant is—you guessed it—condensed. As the refrigerant is condensed, its heat is released into the air outside. This process simply continues until desired temperatures are met in your home. Know what happens if there is not enough refrigerant in your air conditioning system? Well, it’s not pretty!
The Effects of Low Refrigerant Levels
If you don’t have the right amount of refrigerant in your air conditioning system, then you are not going to be able to cool your home successfully. Your air conditioner will struggle to remove a sufficient amount of heat from the air in your home. That will lead to longer run times and more expensive cooling costs—and that’s the best-case scenario.
If your air conditioner really starts to struggle with low refrigerant levels, then it may begin to short cycle. That means it will run only briefly, then shut right back down. Not only does this waste energy, but it also puts your system at an increased risk of damages. Your system may also start to develop ice and, when that happens, the coil becomes insulated. This makes it harder still for your air conditioner to do its job of cooling your home.
We Pinpoint Leaks and Fix Them the Right Way
You can’t just seal up a refrigerant leak on your own. Chances are, you wouldn’t even be able to find the leak to do so. We can pinpoint the source of the leak in order to resolve it completely. Don’t risk destroying your compressor by forcing it to run on a low refrigerant charge.