Handling A Refrigerant Leak In Your Air Conditioning System

Your air conditioning system will require refrigerant in order to work correctly. In fact, the system will lose the ability to cool air if there is not a sufficient amount of refrigerant in it. Unfortunately, leaks in the pipes and connections in the system can contribute to a leak forming that could negatively impact the overall performance of the air conditioning system. 

Assumption: It Is Normal For Air Conditioners To Lose Refrigerant Over Time

Some homeowners may be under the impression that it is relatively normal for their air conditioning system to gradually lose refrigerant over the years. While this may be a seemingly understandable belief, the reality is that these systems are designed to be closed, which means that the level of refrigerant in the system should be stable. If it starts to decrease over time, this is due to the presence of a leak in the system that is allowing it to seep out.

Assumption: Refrigerant Leaks Will Always Be Fairly Noticeable

A homeowner might think that a refrigerant leak will always be easy to notice due to the presence of refrigerant seeping out of the base of the air conditioning unit. While this may be the case when there is a very large leak occurring, it will not always be the case when there is a small leak deep inside the system. Furthermore, if the area where you live experiences frequent rainfall, this could wash away any visible refrigerant that you may have otherwise noticed.

Generally, this problem will be the most noticeable when it starts to impact the ability of the system to cool. More precisely, you may notice that the system is producing air that is not nearly as cool as you have come to expect. If you notice this is occurring, having a professional check the refrigerant levels can be a reasonable first step to take in repairing the system and restoring its functionality.

Assumption: It Is Not Possible To Effectively Patch The Source Of An Air Conditioning Refrigerant Leak

Luckily, there are many ways that you may be able to repair the leaks that have formed in your system. One example of this could be through the application of a patch. This patch will be able to stop the refrigerant from being able to continue to seep out of the system. To be completed, the exact source of the leak will have to be found, but a professional air conditioning repair technician can do this fairly easily by pressurizing the system and observing where the refrigerant is coming out.

Contact a local air conditioning repair service to learn more.