Your air conditioner doesn’t just blow cooler air into a space; it removes the warm air, sends it through your air conditioning system, and returns it as cold air. In other words, your air conditioner conditions the air in your home. Your air conditioning system is able to do this by using a chemical known as refrigerant. Refrigerant converts easily from a liquid to a gas and back again, making it the perfect substance to help cool your home. Due to its important role, any refrigerant leaks in your system necessitates air conditioning repair service before the leak can cause other problems, as we’ll talk about below.
An important item to note about the refrigerant in your air conditioner is that is has to be at a specific level for your air conditioner to work properly. This is why, when a leak occurs and the level of refrigerant drops, you will experience problems with your AC.
For 30 years, APC Plumbing & Heating has offered air conditioning repair service in Denver, CO, so we’ve seen a lot of problems that started from refrigerant leaks. The best thing to do when it comes to possible refrigerant problems with your air conditioning system is to be aware of the symptoms:
Marked Decrease in Cool Air
One of the most common signs that there may be a leak in the refrigerant is that tepid or warm air starts blowing into your home. When the refrigerant level in your air conditioner drops, the heat transfer process no longer works properly, causing a lack of cool air.
A Light Hissing or Bubbling Sound
The refrigerant in your air conditioner is under pressure, so you may hear a light hissing or bubbling sound at the point of leakage. It is important not to handle the area yourself; refrigerant leaks are not DIY jobs. If you hear the hissing or see refrigerant bubbling, call your APC Plumbing & Heating specialist for an appointment.
Icing on Coils
It may seem counter-intuitive that ice will form when there is less refrigerant, but the reason this happens is due to the imbalance caused by the leak. What happens is that the delicate balance between heating and cooling is off causing condensation to form; when condensation forms over the parts that are too cold, the condensation moisture turns to ice.
Let a Professional Handle Refrigerant Problems
Finding a refrigerant leak can be tricky business. You also need to be a trained professional to handle the refrigerant, as there are specific environmental regulations that need to be adhered to when working with refrigerant.
The bottom line: when it comes to air conditioning repair services in Denver, call the professionals you can trust: APC Plumbing & Heating.
