As the summer heat rages on, HVAC units in homes around the United States are getting used daily. If you want to keep the inside of your home at a comfortable temperature, then keeping your HVAC unit functional is imperative. Residential HVAC units need a few basic things to produce a steady flow of cool air.
The refrigerant in your HVAC unit is responsible for absorbing the heat in the air that your system pulls in from outdoors. As this air runs through the evaporator and compressor, the refrigerant helps to cool it down. Refrigerant leaks are quite common, especially in older units.
Refrigerant Leaks
Getting a refrigerant leak fixed is only possible with the help of an experienced central AC service in Los Angeles, CA. Below are some problems you might notice when refrigerant leaks are present.
1. It’s Taking Longer to Cool Your Home Down
When the temperatures in your area start to get hot, the first thing you should do is adjust the settings on your thermostat. Once you lower the temperature settings on your thermostat, your HVAC unit will come on and attempt to reach this temperature. If you start to notice that it’s taking a longer amount of time for your home to get cool, a refrigerant leak might be to blame.
Without the right amount of refrigerant, your HVAC system will struggle to cool your home down. This is due to the fact that there isn’t enough refrigerant to remove the heat from the outdoor air in a timely manner. Rather than allowing the inside of your home to become hot and uncomfortable, you need to reach out to professionals to help with your refrigerant leak.
2. You’ve Started to Notice Hissing Sounds
The coils that refrigerant circulates through are susceptible to damage over time. Generally, these coils will start to crack as they start to age. If there are holes in your coil, you will probably start to hear strange noises coming from your unit.
The hissing noises that you will hear when a coil has been compromised are very noticeable. These noises happen because the refrigerant gas is escaping through the tiny holes and cracks in the coil. If you hear gurgling noises, then you probably have a severe refrigerant leak.
3. Problems Involving a Frozen Evaporator Coil
Are ice crystals forming on your indoor evaporator coil? If so, this could be a sign that you need to get your system checked for refrigerant leaks. When refrigerant levels get low, the evaporator coil will be unable to absorb heat adequately. This leads to lots of condensation forming on the coils.
This condensation will usually freeze. The longer you allow this issue to persist, the higher the risk becomes of your compressor getting damaged. This is why you need to take action as soon as this problem occurs. An HVAC technician can identify the source of your refrigerant leak and fix it in no time.
Give the pros at JMS Air Conditioning and Heating a call for high-quality AC repairs.
