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Bayonet Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Blog

What a Refrigerant Leak Means for Your AC

man-with-fanAny problems with your air conditioning system are of major concern when you live in as hot of a climate as we do. Florida is just not the type of place where “good enough” is ever truly good enough when it comes to your air conditioning system! That is why you need to contact a member of our team the moment that you think you need AC repair in Orlando, FL. Problems truly cannot wait.

Now, we know what some of you are bound to be thinking. “Well, my air conditioner is up and running, so at least the problem is not that serious, right?” Wrong! Even if your air conditioner is still operational, that does not mean that it is operating properly. In fact, both “serious” and “minor” air conditioning problems can have very similar warning signs—which is why no AC problem is ever “minor” enough to ignore! This is definitely the case with those that suggest a refrigerant leak.

Your AC Hinges on the Refrigerant Cycle

Well, I run my car on fumes from time to time. It’s not big deal, I’ll just fill the refrigerant up when I get a chance. 

Oh boy.

If that is the way that you think about a low refrigerant level, well, there is a whole lot of confusion on your end. Mainly, there is the fact that your air conditioner does not consume refrigerant in order to cool your home, the way that a car consumes gasoline in order to propel itself along. No, refrigerant exists in a closed loop system, and a low charge is almost always the result of a leak (though it may have been insufficiently charged from the start, as well).

Why This Is a Problem

Your air conditioner doesn’t create “coolness” the way that a heater generates new heat. It removes heat from the air in your home, which is possible through the evaporation of refrigerant. This happens in the evaporator coil.

If there is not enough refrigerant in your system, then the AC won’t be able to remove a sufficient amount of heat for cooling your home effectively. You’ll wind up living in reduced comfort, even as you see your energy costs rise because your system is trying harder and harder to cool your house.

You may notice ice forming on your evaporator coil. This is because the coil now gets so cold that it freezes the condensation that has collected on it. That creates an insulating barrier that makes it even harder for the system to remove heat. Eventually, your compressor may be damaged to the point that a full AC replacement is necessary.

Let Us Fix Your Leak and Recharge Your System

Even if you were to pinpoint the source of your refrigerant leak, you would not be able to fix the problem on your own. And even if you were able to seal the leak, you don’t have access to the refrigerant that you’d need to recharge the system. Only professional AC technicians licensed for such work can do so. Reach out to us if you have any reason at all to suspect a refrigerant leak in your home.

Schedule your AC services with Bayonet Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning.

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