The refrigerant is essential for the cooling process. Without refrigerant, or the proper flow of refrigerant, the air conditioner will fail to create the needed cool air. If the refrigerant supply becomes interrupted, the air conditioner will fail to produce cool air. One type of refrigerant interruption most people are aware of is a refrigerant leak. However, the refrigerant can also be blocked which is much harder to diagnose. Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning would like to share the symptoms of a blocked refrigerant suction line and when to seek professional repair services.
What is an Indication that a Refrigerant Flow Control has Become Restricted or Stopped Up?
It can be hard to determine if there is a blockage or restriction in the refrigerant line. One clue that there is a problem with the refrigerant line is that the home isn’t cooling down. You may even have some similar symptoms of a refrigerant leak such as icy coils, overheating, and warm air blowing through the vents. At this point you will need to contact an HVAC repair service. The HVAC technician will, in most cases, look for a refrigerant leak as they are more common. When no leak can be found and the refrigerant level appears to be normal, this will help point to a possible blockage or restriction. Some restriction may be due to physical damage along the refrigerant line. The technician will complete a visual inspection of the refrigerant line to look for any damages. However, if no damage was located, the next step is to use a special HVAC tool. This tool helps a technician to see inside the air conditioner. This tool will provide pressure and temperature readings inside the unit. If the technician can see low suction pressure with high superheating and normal high subcooling this proves the unit is not low on refrigerant. Now the technician knows for sure there is a blockage within the system.
Recent Air Conditioning Problems
To determine the cause of the refrigerant blockage it helps to know the unit history. A recent burnout of the compressor often points to the suction and liquid line driers as the source of the problem. If there was a refrigerant leak around the distributor and was repaired recently, the feeder tube may have accidentally been filled with refrigerant. If the unit has no history of repairs, this could point to the TXV element tube being rubbed out and the TXV has slammed down.
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Locating a blockage or restriction in the refrigerant line can be difficult and will require the aid of an HVAC technician. If you need help repairing your air conditioner or have HVAC needs, contact Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning today.