There are many different air conditioning problems that can impact how your unit operates to cool your home. Some are more serious and others are less serious. Refrigerant leaks are one of the more serious concerns that you need to address right away if you suspect you have one in your air conditioner. To understand the risks of waiting, consider reading about AC problems that worsen without repair before they escalate.
Just call our team to schedule AC repair in Eugene, OR, whether you think your AC has a refrigerant leak or something else going on. In the meantime, you can keep reading to learn more about some of the signs that your air conditioner has a refrigerant leak.
What Sounds Signal a Refrigerant Leak in Your AC?
Refrigerant alternates between being a gas and a liquid in the lines as it moves between your indoor unit and your outdoor unit. As refrigerant leaks out, it can make either a bubbling or hissing sound, depending on whether it is a gas or a liquid.
Keep in mind that the sounds may not be particularly obvious since they can be quiet instead of loud. If you do think that you hear hissing or bubbling, pay close attention the next time your air conditioner turns on for a cooling cycle to see if you can hear it again. If so, you need to schedule service to get your unit checked out.
How to Identify a Refrigerant Leak By Smell
When refrigerant leaks out of the lines, it smells like a chemical since it is one. But refrigerant can also have a slightly sweet odor, which can be a little confusing since it doesn’t necessarily smell bad. Like sounds, the smell of refrigerant leaking out can be faint. To stay ahead of similar issues, it’s helpful to learn common AC problems and how to avoid them.
Is Your AC Running Inefficiently? It Could Be a Leak
Even if you can’t smell refrigerant leaking out of the system, it can be bad for your efficiency.
If your air conditioner consumes more electricity to complete the same amount of cycles it did last year, then it could be trying to compensate for refrigerant that has been leaking out. Bad efficiency levels could be a big red flag and point to a refrigerant leak as the culprit.
Hidden Clues Your Might Be Leaking Refrigerant
It’s also possible that you can see refrigerant leaking out of your air conditioner. It will likely look like a water leak. However, we encourage you to avoid the leak if it smells chemically or sweet, as we mentioned above. Cleaning up refrigerant on your own can be dangerous, and you should really leave it up to our team of professionals.
You may also notice that your air conditioner isn’t cooling your home as well when you have a refrigerant leak. This happens because, without an adequate refrigerant charge on the lines, your AC cannot absorb as much heat to transfer outside. As a result, the air blowing out of vents will feel slightly warmer than usual, no matter how will you set your thermostat. If you hear unusual noises or feel uneven cooling in your home, it may be worth investigating why your cooling feels uneven to pinpoint underlying issues.
Your comfort is our business! Comfort Flow Heating serves all of Oregon, so contact our team today to schedule your appointment.
541-726-0100