We often have homeowners ask us if they need to add more refrigerant to their air conditioning systems. While it’s true that there are times when more refrigerant is required for your air conditioning system, those times are few and far between. Let’s take a look at how your air conditioner uses refrigerant, and when it needs more added to it.
Refrigerant
Refrigerant is not one fluid, but a blanket term for a wide range of different fluids that all serve the same general purpose. Your air conditioner cools your home by evaporating refrigerant in the evaporator coil, which is located inside your home. The refrigerant gas absorbs heat from the air in your ducts, then travels down the refrigerant line to the condenser coil outside. There, it is condensed back into liquid in order to release the collected heat out of the home. The air conditioner does not consume refrigerant, but recycles it throughout the system in order to keep cooling your home. Normally, a system should not need more than its initial charge of refrigerant for its entire lifespan. However, there is one time when that is not the case.
Refrigerant Leaks
If a leak develops in your refrigerant line, it will start to drain the system of the fluid that it needs to operate. Over time, this will cause the output of the system to steadily decline. Eventually, the air conditioner will break down entirely when the refrigerant level gets too low. This is the only time that the system will need more refrigerant. Call for repairs if you ever see fluid dripping from your air conditioning system. Otherwise, the problem will get much worse.
Climate Masters provides air conditioner repair services throughout Point Vedra, FL. Call today to schedule an appointment with one of our HVAC experts.
