Nobody wants to deal with a refrigerant leak. It’s true that they happen and they’re just as bad as most HVAC technicians say they are. That’s why we think a blog post on this topic is so important—we want to highlight the benefits of detecting this kind of problem as early as possible.
AC repair in Boise, ID doesn’t have to be complicated. For the average homeowner, scheduled maintenance and a slight amount of vigilance should be good enough. Today, we’re going to talk about some of the things you should be listening for in case you’re curious about your AC suffering from a refrigerant leak.
Remember, don’t hesitate to call our team if you have any questions. We’d much rather be proactive and answer your question than repair your broken down AC. Regardless of what you need, we can help!
The Three Major Ways to Detect a Refrigerant Leak
We know that you’ve probably stumbled on a few blogs that list countless symptoms of a refrigerant leak. The truth isn’t as simple as just detecting a leak and getting it repaired—refrigerant leaks can come in all shapes and sizes. The problems that they cause can be almost infinite. However, we can still narrow down the most common symptoms of a refrigerant leak and make their signs obvious for you to detect in the future!
1. Bubbling and Hissing
One of the easiest ways, and perhaps the most common we see, to detect a refrigerant leak is to listen for these noises. Bubbling sounds almost always indicate that oxygen bubbles have entered your refrigerant line. The hissing usually denotes that the gaseous refrigerant is escaping through the leak in your line. If you ever hear this noise, then we urge you to call our team to have the refrigerant leak patched up and your system recharged.
2. Poor Efficiency
Your AC relies on proper refrigerant levels in order to function properly. The less refrigerant in the system, the more energy it’s going to consume and the worse your monthly bills will be. Poor energy efficiency can very easily be a sign that your system has leaked some amount of refrigerant.
Short Cycling (Another Sign of Poor Efficiency)
Short cycling is an industry term we use that describes when an AC starts up and shuts down very quickly. While many problems can cause this phenomenon, a short cycling AC always needs to be addressed. An AC can start short cycling if it has leaked refrigerant to the point where it only runs in brief cooling cycles before overheating and shutting down.
3. Lukewarm Temperatures
How is your air conditioner supposed to keep your home cool without the proper amount of refrigerant? This is a rhetorical question, of course, because it can’t! If your home feels a lot warmer than it used to, even if you’ve got the AC on full blast, then we urge you to call our team. While this is usually a symptom of a refrigerant leak even if it’s being caused by something else, it needs to be fixed ASAP.
It’s time to call the pros at Idaho Heating & Air. Your Comfort Is Our Priority!