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Do You Have a Refrigerant Leak?

Leaks of any kind aren’t good news in your house. But the leaks we are discussing today aren’t the ones involved in your plumbing. Instead, this leak is one in your air conditioning in Egg Harbor Township, NJ.

No matter what kind of air conditioner you have, a leak is never going to be good. But the worst kind of leak that your system can develop is a refrigerant leak. Refrigerant is kind of like the lifeblood of your system so, without it, you really don’t have a working AC.

Let’s look at how you can figure out if you have a refrigerant leak so you can get it repaired quickly.

The Signs of a Refrigerant Leak

First things first you need to know what the warning signs of a leak are so you know when to reach out to a technician for help. Here are some indicators to check for:

  • Short cycling: Your air conditioner is likely to start to short-cycle if it is losing refrigerant. This is because the system will be unable to cool the air properly and will shut off to prevent overheating or sustaining other damage.
  • Hissing or bubbling: In some cases, you may be able to hear the sound created by the leak in your refrigerant line. Hissing is created by gaseous refrigerant leaking out of the line. Bubbling is created by air entering the refrigerant line where the refrigerant is still a liquid.
  • Ice build-up on your evaporator coil: When you lose refrigerant it will impact your system’s ability to absorb heat. This can lead to the creation of ice on the evaporator coil as it super-cools the coil.
  • A lack of cool air: You may notice that, even if your AC is running normally, it isn’t producing the right amount of cool air. This can be due to a refrigerant leak as well.

Don’t Forget to Recharge!

If you’ve identified that you have a refrigerant leak you’ll need to get it repaired quickly to avoid the loss of more of this important substance. But patching your refrigerant line isn’t the only thing you need to do. You’ll also need to get a refrigerant recharge (refill).

A technician can recharge your refrigerant supply and also make sure that it is correctly pressurized. This will allow the system to operate properly again and will ensure that you get the cool air you need.

Be Aware of Your Refrigerant Type

In some cases, you may have a type of refrigerant that is being phased out of production or is no longer in production. If that’s your situation, you may find that refilling your refrigerant is either excessively expensive or impossible. When this happens, it may be better to invest in a new system or talk to your technician to see if a retrofit is possible (although this may be just as expensive as a new system).

Having problems with your air conditioner? Contact the experts at Elliott-McElwee, Inc. for your next repair. Your comfort is our business!

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