How to know when you Air Conditioner is low on refrigerant?

Temperatures are beginning to climb so it is time to prepare your Cooling equipment for the summer months. Here are a few self-care tips for your AC…

Refrigerant is the substance that travels through your cooling system removing heat from the cooling chamber, converting the Freon from liquid to gas and back again.

This compression and condensing of the gas require an adequate “charge” from the refrigerant, so there must be enough available for efficient operation of your unit.

Common symptoms of low refrigerant are no cold air and long cooling cycles.

When your system is low on refrigerant, the air in the cooling chamber takes longer to cool, resulting in longer cooling cycles. This can also result in higher energy bills as your equipment uses more fuel to complete its task.

Another problem that can happen when refrigerant is low, is the freezing of the coil. When the coil I too cold ice can form on it, often spreading to the surrounding components.

If you experience either or both, it is time to have your system checked by a certified technician. You may have a leak, which must be repaired, and the refrigerant topped up.