Signs that Freon Level in Your AC is Low
Is It Time to Replace Your Air Conditioner?
The scorching heat of summer is approaching faster than you think. Is your AC losing its cool? With temperatures rapidly rising, it’s essential to make sure your air conditioner is functioning properly. If you’ve noticed your AC isn’t cooling properly, you may be dealing with an unfortunately common problem, a Freon leak.
Freon is a gas that acts as a refrigerant. This inert gas is integral to the function of your AC. If you have low Freon levels, it can result in a unit that lacks the ability to cool your home. This can leave you frustrated, hot, and stuffy, and running to call your local, certified HVAC technician.
If you’re interested in learning about the common symptoms of having low Freon levels in your home’s air conditioning unit, read on.
1. Your Home Takes Too Long to Cool – The inability to cool your house is one of the first signs that your unit is exhibiting low Freon levels. This issue may appear to occur out of nowhere and lead to a steady decline in the effectiveness of your AC. This can happen due to a slow leak in your compressor, causing your Freon levels to decrease. Your air blowing hot is the most obvious sign that there is a lack of refrigerant in the system. A situation such as this needs immediate service from an HVAC technician that can get your AC in working order again or help you replace your old unit if it’s too far gone.
2. Your Energy Bill Has Increased – If your energy bill has recently skyrocketed, the culprit may be low Freon levels in your AC. Low Freon levels in your unit can cause your air conditioner to struggle and push harder to cool your home. This is what is known as short cycling, a process your AC uses to right itself again, turning off and on but never making it to the cooling stage. If your air conditioner is stuck in this process, it will result in the use of more energy and a higher charge on your electric bill.
3. Your AC Coils Have Frozen Over – If your AC unit’s coils have frozen over, this is a sure sign that your air conditioner has low Freon levels. When your AC has low Freon levels, the pressure drops within the evaporator coil, allowing moisture to accumulate there and freeze over. Frozen coils can no longer absorb heat and will cause your air conditioner to blow warm air. Any sign of frozen coils spells trouble for your air conditioner and the issue needs to be evaluated by a certified HVAC technician. Once the technician can assess the problem, they will be able to determine whether your unit can be repaired or if the damage warrants a new unit.
How will you know that your AC coils have frozen over? Here are some signs you may see:
- Ice on the outside of your unit and the refrigerant line
- Sputtering or struggling noises
- Noticeable moisture on the inside or outside of your unit
- Water pooling around your unit inside or outside your home
If you think your unit’s Freon levels are low and your air conditioner is not working at its maximum potential, Comfort Solutions has trained and certified HVAC technicians that can help bring your AC back to life.
For more information or to set up your free consultation, please call us at 610-438-9300 or contact us online with any questions or concerns.
