Air conditioner fans are blowing air but your home is not cooling?
If this is your problem, chances are your cooling system has a refrigerant leak. Don’t worry, I have got you covered. In this article, I’ll talk about troubleshooting and fixing AC refrigerant leak. But first, you need to know the reasons behind air conditioner refrigerant leaks.
Why is Refrigerant Leaking from My AC?
Air conditioner refrigerant plays a crucial role in keeping your space cool. While installing the AC unit, refrigerants are added to the AC system. If the cooling unit is sealed correctly, the refrigerant will stay inside the HVAC unit and recirculate. However, due to various reasons, this air conditioner refrigerant can leak from the unit and lower the cooling capacity. Leaks in the metal coils can make the refrigerant leak from the AC unit. Another reason for air conditioner refrigerant leaks is the age of the cooling unit. When the AC becomes older, all the joints and coils become loose and gaps emerge, which allows the refrigerant to leak from the AC unit. Again, if the air conditioning unit isn’t maintained properly or hasn’t gone through maintenance for a long time, a refrigerant leak can happen.
How to Fix the Air Conditioner Refrigerant Leak
Right Way to Fix the AC Refrigerant Leak
· Find the Leaks & Repair It
Previously, finding leaks in the air conditioner was very tedious. It required hours to inspect the whole unit and find the leaks. But due to advanced technologies, HVAC technicians can find out the leaks within a short period. Also, the use of modern technologies has lowered the cost of refrigerant leak repair.
After finding out the leaks in the cooling unit, you’ll have to repair it as soon as possible.
· Air Conditioner Coil Replacement
If your air conditioning unit is old or hasn’t gone through an air conditioner maintenance checkup for years, chances are your AC coils will be damaged. When the AC coils are damaged, it’s likely that the HVAC technicians will find numerous leaks in your cooling unit. And when there are several leaks in the unit, the HVAC professional will suggest you replace the whole AC coils.
By replacing the AC coils, your air conditioning unit will have a performance boost and increase your comfort. Besides, if you’re struggling with high electric bills, this problem will be solved too.
Wrong Way to Fix the AC Refrigerant Leak
· Refilling the Refrigerant When the Level Goes Down
Unfortunately, many people think that refilling the refrigerant will solve the refrigerant leak problem. But in reality, it’s far from the truth. Let me tell you why.
The price of the refrigerant is increasing almost every year. And if you keep refilling whenever the refrigerant goes down, you’ll end up paying more than you’d pay to fix the refrigerant leak. Besides, refrigerant refilling isn’t a piece of cake. You’ll have to hire a professional HVAC technician to refill the refrigerant. But hiring an experienced HVAC technician doesn’t come cheap.
Again, when the refrigerant level goes down, it makes the cooling unit work harder, which eventually shortens the unit’s lifespan.
· Using Leak Sealants
If you’re thinking about fixing the refrigerant leak by using leak sealant, you should throw this idea from your window right now. Because this idea may sound intuitive, but it’s a temporary solution. Besides, sometimes when you use leak sealants to fix the refrigerant leak, it can create blockage in the air conditioning unit and can cause further damages to the unit.
Never Ignore Air Conditioner Refrigerant Leak
When your air conditioner unit has a low refrigerant level, it’ll make the cooling unit run longer, which will create a lot of pressure on the system. Besides, when the AC unit runs for a long time, it’ll start to consume more electricity. As a result, your monthly cooling bill will go up. Apart from these problems, a refrigerant leak can damage the environment and make your space hazardous.
See the summary of this content in an infographic – Fixing AC Refrigerant Leak [Infographic]
