Suspect a Refrigerant Leak? Here’s What to Do

Refrigerant leaks are a big deal. They can cause homeowners an immense amount of stress when they start happening. This can be either due to the constant need for a refrigerant recharge from a professional, or from the symptoms a leaking AC develops over time. Either way, we’re on a mission to make sure no homeowner in our area has an AC system that’s leaking refrigerant.

How can anyone tell? Aside from the actual hissing of gas coming from the unit, what are some signs that homeowners can use to address the problem of leaking refrigerant before it turns into a full system shutdown?

Well, that’s what we’re here for. Read through our checklist of ways to tell if your air conditioner is suffering from a refrigerant leak. If it is, be sure to call our team to provide quality repairs for air conditioning in Scarsdale, NY.

Take a Closer Look at the Air Conditioner

Air conditioners leaking refrigerant might seem mundane, like a pipe leaking water, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. An air conditioner leaking refrigerant is going to have a much harder time cooling the air in a home, and thus will start consuming far more electricity than it should.

Take a walk around the air conditioner and start writing down everything that seems “off.” The following symptoms can clue homeowners in that there is a refrigerant leak occurring.

Hissing or Bubbling

One clear sign that an air conditioner is leaking refrigerant is a hissing or bubbling sound. The hissing represents the actual refrigerant gas that’s escaping from the refrigerant lines. The bubbling can also be a sign that oxygen has gotten into the liquid refrigerant lines and is causing it to bubble every time it flows in a specific direction. Neither of these sounds are good and they always warrant help from a professional.

Higher Energy Bills

When an air conditioner is installed, and as long as it’s properly maintained, it shouldn’t cost too much to operate monthly. If it does, that’s usually a clear sign that something is wrong and it needs to be repaired.

Refrigerant leaks can be a huge energy sink, since an air conditioner has to compensate for the lost refrigerant by running longer and in more energy-intensive cycles just to cool a home properly. The longer this goes on, the higher a home’s energy bills and the more worn down an AC can get.

Short Cycling

Short cycling is a specific type of problem. When brand-new and properly sized, an AC should run a specific cycle that allows it to cool a home to the desired temperature without running for too long and overheating. However, if the system can’t cool a home efficiently due to a refrigerant leak or another serious problem, it’s going to shut down abruptly and start over again, leading to short cycles.

Short cycling is a huge problem because it can cause certain components of an air conditioning system to get worn down. Not only will homeowners need to repair their short cycling systems regularly, but they might need to replace them early.

Call Yost & Campbell Heating, Cooling & Generators today for professional AC repair!