Effect of low Refrigerant Levels on Air Conditioning Performance
Refrigerant is a crucial component of the cooling system, without which we wouldn’t have the refrigerators or air conditioners we know them today. It is a low-pressure gas stored in copper coils, which travels through the system to the different parts of your air conditioner, changing to a high-pressure liquid.
This is how it happens. The heat in the air gets absorbed by the copper coils and the refrigerant inside. The refrigerant now turns into a liquid and is moved outside with fans, where it again cools down and turns into a gas. The cold air is pushed inside your home, and the hot air is released outside.
When your air conditioning system is low on refrigerant, it will not function properly. Here are some signs that your air conditioner is low on refrigerant:
Increased energy bills
If you are noticing that your energy bills are increasing unexpectedly and you have not increased the usage of appliances, bought more appliances, or made significant changes to your home’s temperature, then chances are that you have a refrigerant leak.
As we said, the refrigerant picks up heat from the air and carries it outside, where it is released.In the absence of enough refrigerant in the air conditioner, the system cannot get rid of as much heat per cooling cycle. This means the system will need to work harder and run longer to cool your home, which would eventually lead to higher energy bills.
Ice buildup on the air conditioner
Low refrigerant levels can cause ice buildup on the pipes. When refrigerant levels become low, there isn’t enough fluid to counterbalance the warm and humid air blowing over the evaporator coils. In the absence of enough warmth, the moisture from the humidity on the evaporator coils can freeze.
Hissing or bubbling noise
The refrigerant is at very high pressure, and when there is a leakage in the refrigerant lines, you will hear a hissing or bubbling noise. The most common cause of low refrigerant levels in an air conditioner is leakage in the refrigerant line.
Many people think that the refrigerant inside the air conditioner gets used up like fuel, but it doesn’t. The refrigerant only gets compressed and decompressed. The levels become low only because of a leakage. It is important not only to refill the refrigerant but also to fix the leakage.
AC is taking longer to cool your home.
Most air conditioners are capable of cooling your home in a matter of minutes. If you notice that the air conditioner is taking much longer than usual to cool your home, it could be due to low refrigerant levels.
There could be other reasons for longer cooling times, such as the age and condition of the air conditioner. However, if all other factors are constant but the cooling times have become longer, it could indicate low refrigerant levels.
Air coming out of vents is not cold.
When the air conditioner is low on refrigerant, the air coming out of it will not be as cool as it should be. The air may instead be warm. It is a classic sign that the air conditioner is low on refrigerant.
Regularly checking AC refrigerant levels ensures optimal cooling performance and energy efficiency. Iow refrigerant levels can lead to reduced cooling capacity, increased energy consumption, and potential damage to the AC system, making routine checks essential for maintaining both comfort and cost-effectiveness.
If your AC shows any of the above signs, you should immediately call your HVAC technician to check the refrigerant levels. They will check the levels and look for other problems that may be causing the air conditioner to underperform.