You rely on your central air conditioning unit to keep your home cool during the summer. When the temperatures outside are soaring, your home should feel considerably cooler. If your home feels a little warmer than it should and you have cleaned the filter and cleared away debris from the outdoor unit, you could be running low on refrigerant. Here are three signs this could be your central air conditioning unit's issue.
Your Central Air Conditioner Is Making a Strange Noise
The refrigerant in an air conditioner is in a closed system. It does not get used up like your vehicle's motor oil does. Instead, an air conditioner's refrigerant system is similar to your automobile's brake system. Brake fluid doesn't need to be replaced unless there is a leak somewhere in the system.
Air conditioning refrigerant will not be low unless there is a leak. If the leak is substantial, you can often hear a noise that resembles air leaking from a tire. Go outside and look at the line that leads from the air conditioning unit to the home. Listen carefully for any abnormal noise coming from it.
If your central air conditioning unit is old, the metal may have simply become corroded and weak, cracking at a vulnerable point. More likely, the refrigerant line was damaged with a snow shovel, rake, lawnmower, or children playing.
Rather than hearing a noise, you may see visible signs of a leak. Check where the refrigerant line comes out of the air condition unit. If you see something that resembles burnt motor oil, this is refrigerant that has boiled off once it leaked out.
Your Central Air Conditioner Evaporator Coil Has Ice Build Up
Your central air conditioner needs just the right amount of refrigerant to operate properly. If the refrigerant is too low, the evaporator will get too cold. This is because the pressure inside the system is too low.
When the pressure is too low, the evaporator becomes too cold and the moisture in the air causes ice to build up along the evaporator coil exterior. This essentially freezes the system and thus prevents the central air conditioner from cooling your home.
Your Utility Bills Are Higher Than Normal
When your central air conditioner is low on refrigerant, it has to work harder while simultaneously performing less efficiently. A slow refrigerant leak will often first make itself known when you notice your house doesn't feel as cool as it normally does, and you receive a higher than normal bill.
If you suspect your central air conditioning unit has a refrigerant leak, discontinue use and call AC repair service right away. The leak must be repaired before refrigerant can be added. In some cases, you may need a new air conditioner instead.
Share6 August 2019
Does your air conditioner smell, make loads of extra noise, or fail to cool your home? If you have noticed any of these problems, there might be issues with your air conditioning unit. Fortunately, you don't have to let a bum system make your home stuffy and uncomfortable. Professional heating ventilation and air conditioning contractors can snap your AC unit into shape in no time. By carefully checking your condenser and evaluating your refrigerant levels, the experts might be able to dramatically improve the cooling capacity of your home unit. Read here to find out how to spot problems before they make your space uncomfortable.