How Often Should You Need to Add Refrigerant to Your AC Unit in Aliante, NV for a Leak or Undercharge?

Any central air conditioner uses refrigerant to keep your home cool. Without the right amount of refrigerant, it can’t effectively keep you cool this summer. If your AC is blowing out cold air, it could be a refrigerant issue. Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning is here to talk about refrigerant and when an AC may need to have more refrigerant added to ensure it can effectively work.

How Does a Refrigerant System Work

Refrigerant is the substance that is used to cool the air in your home. It travels between the indoor evaporator coil and the outside condenser coils. As it travels from these different coils, it gathers the hot air as this air is circulated through the system, cools it down in the condenser coils and then returns it to your home to work at cooling the house. As the air circulates over the cooled coils, the air cools and then is distributed throughout the vents.

What Refrigerant was Used in the Old Days?

There have been a few different types of refrigerants that have been used over time. Here are the different types and when they were retired.
– Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): CFCs haven’t been used since 1994 because they contributed to greenhouse gasses. CFCs include R12.
– Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs): This group includes R22 which is still found in some units today. It isn’t quite as damaging to the environment as the CFCs but has been mandated to phase out by the end of 2020 because of the Clean Air Act of 2010. This includes R22.
– Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs): The absence of chlorine from the refrigerants used today makes this the safest refrigerant for the environment. The new refrigerant R410A & R134 are more efficient and have been known to boost indoor air quality as well.

Common Refrigerant Problems

There are two different refrigerant issues you can run into.
– Leaks: As your unit gets older, leaks are inevitable. When you have a refrigerant leak, you will start to notice your home isn’t as cool as it should be. There can also be some strange noises like whistling or hissing that you hear when your air is on. You may also see higher energy bills as your unit works harder to keep your home cool.
– Undercharged System: When your AC is installed, it is important that the right amount of refrigerant is charged through the lines. If your installation isn’t done properly, you can run into frustrating issues like frozen coils and a warm home.

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It is important to remember that refrigerant in your AC unit is moved through closed lines. If you have low levels, it is due to poor installation or a leak somewhere. At Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning, we know how important your AC is during these hot months. If you are having issues with your system, you can count on us to get it up and running again. Call us today!