An air conditioner is one of the most complicated home appliances because of the many complex components in its system. Due to this increased complexity, AC units require regular maintenance through air conditioner repair experts. Some issues with the central air conditioning unit are easy to understand like misaligned fans, loud noises coming from a compressor, and non-responsive cooling coils.
However, one main problem that happens behind the scenes, and significantly affects the performance of your air conditioner is a low level of the refrigerant present in it. The lower refrigerant levels mainly indicate the presence of possible leaks in your AC unit, a low charge, under-charged refrigerant pressures, and some secondary issues.
A refrigerant is a mixture of chemicals that helps in regulating indoor temperatures under various pressure conditions. It’s a vital part of your AC unit – it maintains the optimum performance of an air conditioner and produces a cooling effect while vaporizing. Dealing with low refrigerant levels requires expert knowledge and equipment to do the job safely and accurately.
The following are some of the ways in which low refrigerant levels affect the performance of your air conditioner:
Inadequate Cooling
Is your air conditioner taking too long to run in order to keep your home cool? Are you and your family members feeling less comfortable inside your home due to less or no cooling for the past few days? If yes, then chances are your air conditioner’s refrigerant levels are running low.
Cooling systems aren’t able to generate fresh air without the help of a refrigerant as it’s a vital part of any air conditioner. For this reason, be sure to contact air conditioning repair technicians in order to help you maintain sufficient refrigerant charge in your AC unit so that it continues to function properly.
Higher Electricity Bills
As the refrigerant levels keep on dropping in your air conditioner, cooling coils start to operate less efficiently. This is due to less amount of heat being removed from the indoor air over time, and the AC system has to work harder than usual to produce desirable cooling power. As a result, your monthly electricity bills will rise.
Although it’s usual to expect an increase in electricity costs during the summer season, considering the rest of the factors equal, if you’re suddenly spending more on electricity month after month, it’s time to get your AC unit inspected through expert HVAC contractors for timely maintenance.
Frosty Evaporator Coil
The presence of frost on your AC unit’s evaporator coil is one of the significant indications about low your refrigerant levels might be. Technically, having a small refrigerant charge in your air conditioner makes it harder for the coils to absorb enough heat in order to warm up the cold refrigerant.
When the refrigerant remains cold, it leads to building up of moisture, freezing up the coils. This results in reducing your air conditioner’s cooling capacity, not to mention an increase in your energy consumption as a result of continuous operation.
Compressor Motor Damage
Keeping a low refrigerant charge in your air conditioner can severely damage your unit’s compressor. Utilizing your air conditioning unit for a more extended period of time under such circumstances can cause overheating of the motor. In this case, you will need to replace your unit’s damaged compressor, which can be costly.
In short, there are a few significant signs that your air conditioning unit is experiencing a reduced refrigerant charge. These include the system’s hissing sounds, the appearance of ice around the indoor coils, and decreased cooling. After you notice any of these signs, turn off the AC unit and call for an air conditioning restoration expert’s assistance.
Nor-Can Heating & Air is an expert HVAC contractor that provides the best quality HVAC installation and maintenance services to its clients in Edmonton, Alberta. Visit our website for more information or contact us for urgent customer support.
