Your air conditioner’s well-being is extremely important this time of year. Even the smallest hiccup in its extremely precise machinery can throw the whole thing out of whack, which will result in any number of problems and a sky-high energy bill. We won’t tackle everything that can hurt your AC’s efficiency – that would take entirely too long. But we’ll get into one of the more common issues we hear about.
Refrigerant is a crucial chemical that your AC needs to work as intended. Without it, all the air in your home would be just as hot as the muggy Florida air outside. When you’ve got a refrigerant leak, you have to know how to identify it as quickly as possible. Here are a couple of ways to determine if you have a refrigerant leak and what to do about it, from the pros at Acree Plumbing, Air & Electric!
Hissing/Bubbling Sounds
Refrigerant travels through the tubes and pipes of your AC system, switching between high and low-pressure states. When your refrigerant line springs a leak, it’s going to produce a sound. The sound might not be too loud, but it will probably be there.
If you suspect that you might have a potential refrigerant leak, then keep an ear open. Hissing and bubbling are the more common sounds you’ll hear coming from a leaky spot – and if you can pinpoint one, then it’s time to call someone to fix it.
Strange Drops in AC Performance
A refrigerant leak is going to do more than just make noises. When your system can’t cycle this chemical through like it needs to, then your AC isn’t going to be able to perform like it’s supposed to. You’ll experience head-scratching gaps in cooling power, which might not always indicate a refrigerant leak right away.
But if you notice this and you’ve seen other symptoms of refrigerant leaks, then you’ve got your answer and should let a professional know as soon as possible.
Signs of Refrigerant Sickness
If refrigerant is leaking into your home’s air circulation, then it’s going to affect you and your family’s health. This chemical isn’t designed to work well in human bodies, and you can get quite sick if you’re exposed to it for too long. The problem is that you can’t see or smell refrigerant when it’s in the air, which makes it hard to tell the difference between refrigerant poisoning and another type of health issue.
Symptoms include:
- Upset stomach
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Respiratory problems
Your Home Isn’t Cooling
This might be the thing that you notice first. Here in Tampa, staying cool is incredibly important this time of year, and any loss of cooling power is something that needs to be addressed immediately. When your AC is leaking refrigerant, then your system will only be able to blow warm, uncooled air. Should this happen and you can’t find anything wrong with the machinery, then a refrigerant leak might be to blame.
A fully operational AC system is one of the most important parts of your home in the summer. While a refrigerant leak can take time to fully become a problem, you should address it as soon as you discover one before it develops into something worse.
Acree Plumbing, Air & Electric is trained to identify and fix refrigerant leaks in no time at all, and we’ll do whatever we can to help get your AC back in working order. Give us a call at (813) 530-9061 to speak to one of our expert team members today!
