How to Check AC Refrigerant Levels
Did you know that Freon is a specific type of refrigerant?
While many people use Freon as a generic term to describe refrigerants, it’s just a single brand of refrigerant. With this being said, refrigerants are incredibly essential to keep our fridges and air conditioners running efficiently. When AC refrigerant levels drop, your home’s AC will not be nearly as effective.
This is why you should always check your AC refrigerant levels before you call a technician to come to have a look at your HVAC system. Checking for low levels is easy and can be done in less than 15 minutes. This will save you time and help you fix the issue in no time.
Want to learn more about checking your refrigerant levels? Read this helpful guide for everything you need to know.
What Is AC Refrigerant?
AC refrigerant is a non-combustible gas that’s vital to the cooling process. This gas sits safely inside the copper coils within your AC or fridge. The refrigerant will travel through the system, changing from a gas to a liquid as it moves along.
This gas is what makes the copper coils cold. The air that passes over the copper coils will then also get cold. This is essentially how the AC manages to take warm air and cool it down.
Since the gas is so important to the cooling process, when the gas level drops, your AC will not work as efficiently. The copper coils won’t get as cold, and the air that passes over the coils won’t get cold either. This is why your refrigerant levels should always be checked when your AC is not working as it used to before.
How Do I Know If the AC Refrigerant Levels Are Low?
Since refrigerant levels are so important to the cooling process, it’s important to check to see if they’re low. This will let you know what to tell the HVAC technician before they come to inspect your AC unit.
If you can tell them that the refrigerant levels are low, they’ll make sure to bring some with them. This will ensure that they can refill your AC and get it back to normal when they arrive.
To help you spot low refrigerant levels, here are a few clear signs to keep an eye out for.
Noisy Air Conditioner
If your AC is noisy and gives off a hissing sound, this could indicate that there’s a leak somewhere. This leak can be small or large, with larger leaks making even more noise. A leak could indicate that refrigerant is escaping and causing your AC to run inefficiently.
Increase Energy Usage
When your refrigerant is low, you’ll find that you need to keep your AC running more often to keep the room cool. This is a particular issue if you have it set to maintain a certain temperature at home. Since the AC is not running optimally, you’ll notice that your energy bills have gone up.
Frosty AC
If you notice that there’s ice or frost building up around your AC, this is a clear sign that it’s not working as it’s supposed to. If the refrigerant is low, moisture around the outside of your AC will freeze and build up along the refrigerant lines. This will let you know if you need to refill your refrigerant.
Warm Air from Supply Vents
A perfect AC will blow out cold air according to the temperature that you set. If you use your AC often, you’ll know exactly what you expect from it every day. If your AC is suddenly blowing warmer air than normal, it’s a clear sign that something’s not right.
How To Check AC Refrigerant Levels
There are a few different tests that you can do to check your refrigerant levels. The first test is a sound test to check if you can hear any leaks coming from your AC unit.
The Soap Test
Since leaks are usually responsible for low refrigerant levels, you can use the soap test to check for leaks. This involves putting some soap over the copper coil to see if it bubbles. If there are bubbles, there’s a leak.
Finding an HVAC Technician
Once you know exactly what the issue is, you can go ahead and call the technician to handle the repairs. The technician will know exactly what to do and will bring the AC refrigerant with them. This makes the refrigerant refill quick and easy to complete.
Since you have already diagnosed the issue, the technician’s job is easy. They just need to double-check what you’ve done and refill the AC refrigerant to the optimal levels. They will then run diagnostics on your AC unit to make sure it’s back to normal.
If you’re looking for a trusted HVAC technician to handle your maintenance and repairs, see this hvac contractor here.
Maintaining Your Home HVAC System
When it comes to maintaining your home’s HVAC system, it’s important to check your AC refrigerant level before calling a technician. Your AC will need to be refilled every two to five years. However, if it needs to be refilled sooner, this could be a clear indication of a leak.
Checking for a leak is easy and can take you less than 15 minutes. Once you do that, you’ll know exactly what the issue is and you can call the technician to handle the repairs. This way, you can ensure that your home’s HVAC system is running perfectly throughout the year.
