One of the most common issues that develop with air conditioning systems is refrigerant leaks. A system that is leaking refrigerant can cause all sorts of performance and efficiency problems.
Under normal circumstances, a system should not lose refrigerant. When an air conditioning system is working properly, it circulates and maintains the same amount of refrigerant.
In order to minimize the damage that refrigerant leaks can cause, it is important to know what signs to look out for.
Signs Your AC Has A Refrigerant Leak
Loss of Cooling Power. Your home isn’t cooling down.
Increased humidity in your home. The air conditioner does not properly dehumidify your home.
Hissing Sounds. Refrigerant leaks are caused by holes or cracks in the coils. As refrigerant leaks out of those holes it creates a hissing sound in your home or outside near the condenser unit.
Coils are Frozen. If the refrigerant levels circulating through the evaporator coils are not sufficient, the coils will not properly absorb heat. This creates condensation on the evaporator coils causing them to freeze.
AC leaking water: If you do not see ice on the coils and notice water around the unit, this is a result of ice melting off of the evaporator coils.
Higher utility bills. Refrigerant leaks reduce efficiency by causing your air conditioner to work harder to keep your home cool. If you have a leak, you will definitely see the effects on your utility bills.
What to do when your system has a leak
When you have regular preventative maintenance checkups on your system, we are able to catch refrigerant leaks at the earliest stages. At this point, they are usually the easiest and least expensive to repair.
Some refrigerant leaks are due to environmental damage or just overdue maintenance. We have even seen well-maintained systems spring leaks. Depending on the age of your system, it may make sense to patch and recharge the unit. It also may be a sign that it is time to consider replacing your system.
If you think you may have a refrigerant leak, contact Burkholder’s HVAC right away! We will thoroughly inspect your refrigerant lines for leaks and repair them, so your system is back up and running to its peak efficiency!
