If Your A/C Isn’t Cooling, It Might Be Time for a Refrigerant Recharge
Your air conditioner or heat pump likely has started its long season of cooling your home along the Treasure Coast. You may have already changed the air filter and tested your system to see if it’s operating properly, but found that the air is just not cold enough. The problem may be the refrigerant charge.
Refrigerant is the coolant used in the air conditioner or heat pump to cool the air. While traveling through inside and outside cooling coils in a split-system central A/C or heat pump, the refrigerant boils at a very low temperature, changing back and forth between a liquid and a gas. During this process, the refrigerant removes heat from inside your home and exhausts that same heat energy into the outside air. If the system does not contain the required amount of refrigerant, the heat exchange process that’s essential to air conditioning won’t work properly.
As a homeowner, look for these signs your system needs a refrigerant charge:
- Warm air coming from the registers
- Airflow to the rooms is minimal
- System not running efficiently
- Coils covered with ice
- Oily residue on refrigerant lines
- Damaged insulation around the refrigerant lines
- Visible leaks in the lines
If you suspect your air conditioner needs a refrigerant charge or repairs, contact a professional technician to examine your system. A pro has the experience and appropriate tools and gauges to verify a refrigerant charge is necessary. He will locate the cause of the low refrigerant and make any necessary repairs. In addition, he will know the amount of charge required by the manufacturer’s guidelines. He also will check for other common reasons that your system may not be cooling the air properly, including:
- Clogged filter
- Dirty evaporator coil
- Limited airflow to the outside condenser
At NisAir Air Conditioning and Heating, we take pride in our highly skilled team of professionals, trained and educated to provide quality air conditioner service. If you have any questions or concerns about a refrigerant charge or air conditioning maintenance, contact our knowledgeable staff for answers. Since 1973, we have been providing dependable and affordable service to communities along the Treasure Coast.
