One of the common reasons people need heating and air contractors near me is because they need new coolant. Whether you have a leak in your system or you use an outdated refrigerant, you may need to completely change the coolant in your system. Find out more about when and why you might need to change the coolant in your AC in Stewartstown.
Coolant is Low Maintenance
First, you should know that coolant, or refrigerant, is a low-maintenance part of your system. In fact, it’s usually a no-maintenance component. The refrigerant is in a closed loop and works to absorb heat and cool the air. If it weren’t for refrigerant, your AC wouldn’t work at all.
Because the refrigerant circulates through a closed system, it shouldn’t run out. It doesn’t need to be replaced unless one of a few situations occurs. If you don’t have any issues with your AC, you may never need to change the coolant.
When you call someone for heating and air repair near me, they can inspect your system. When they do, your technician can tell you more about the amount of refrigerant in your system and whether or not it needs to be changed.
Signs You Need to Change or Add Coolant
Here are a few telltale signs that you need to change or add coolant to your AC:
You Have Freon
If you own an older air conditioner, it could use Freon as a coolant. Also known as R-22, Freon is now a banned substance because it contributes to climate change. Existing air conditioners are allowed to continue to use Freon, but you may not be able to find Freon to replace your existing coolant. Even if you can find it, you can be sure it will be expensive.
Unfortunately, it’s not easy to change refrigerants. You need to work with an HVAC technician to learn more about your options and how you can install an air conditioner that doesn’t rely on Freon as a coolant. Today, many systems use Puron because it’s excellent at both cooling and dehumidifying.
Ducts Blowing Hot Air
When your ducts blow out warm or hot air, you could have low refrigerant. Before you jump to conclusions, check your thermostat and make sure it’s set to cool. If the air is still warm, you should call an HVAC technician and have them check the thermostat.
Ice on the Coils
Your refrigerant lines carry heat outside of your home. But if you don’t have enough coolant, your system won’t work well. The evaporator coils will become very cold when refrigerant changes from gas to a liquid. Eventually, condensation forms, and the lines or coils freeze the condensation.
This is a major issue and shouldn’t be ignored. If you see ice on your evaporator coil, call an HVAC technician for help.
Dripping or Pooling Water
The ice on your evaporator coils won’t always stay in the ice form. When it melts, the ice could drip and form a puddle near your HVAC system. Therefore, finding a puddle or gearing a dripping sound is a sign you need refrigerant.
Hissing Noise
The refrigerant lines in your air conditioner are under pressure. When there’s a leak, the escaping gas makes a hissing sound. Keep in mind that the refrigerant could escape as a liquid. In this case, it will make a bubbling or gurgling sound. Pay attention to the noises of your air conditioner because you never know when you will identify a problem with your refrigerant.
If you have a leak, you can’t just top up on refrigerant. You need to identify the leak and fix it before you attempt to fill it with refrigerant. And this isn’t something you can do without special training and certifications. To repair your leak, you need to work with an experienced professional.
Chemical Smells
If your AC has Puron as a coolant, the gas has an added odor to make leak detection possible. It might smell sweet or like ether. In any case, you can probably identify the smell as a chemical odor. There’s a good chance the odor is from a refrigerant leak.
High Utility Bills
Although there are several potential causes of high utility bills, low refrigerant is one of the possibilities. If there isn’t enough refrigerant in your HVAC system, your AC will never reach the setting on your thermostat. It will continue to run all day long, and this is what causes such a smile in your energy bills.
It’s also possible that low refrigerant is making your AC short cycling. With short cycling, your AC turns on and off on a frequent basis. It never finishes a cooling cycle, and the incessant on and off sucks up your electricity.
High Humidity Indoors
While you may be well aware that refrigerant makes your air cooler, did you know that it also decreases the humidity? If there’s not enough coolant, your AC won’t remove humidity from the air. This makes being in your home extremely uncomfortable and could result in mold or mildew.
The cost of mold and mildew removal can be quite high. To make sure you don’t have trouble, you should call a professional to examine your refrigerant. You might need a new coolant, which will fix your humidity issues and leave you comfortable once again.
Work with Heating and Air Contractors Near Me
You don’t need to guess when you need new coolant in your air conditioner. If you receive routine maintenance on your HVAC system, you can know for sure whether or not you need refrigerant. A technician will check for leaks and get you more refrigerant when it’s necessary.
You deserve to be comfortable on a hot day. More importantly, you deserve to be safe in your home. If you have a refrigerant leak, you won’t be either. Here at Reliability Home Services, we want to take care of you and your AC in Stewartstown. When you need heating and air contractors near me, don’t hesitate to call us.
