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(616) 207-4097A common reason air conditioning units don’t work as they should is low refrigerant. A refrigerant leak can make the air your system blows warmer, and it can lead to mechanical issues with the unit if you don’t address it. Find out how to tell if your AC unit is low on Freon, whether you might have an AC refrigerant leak and what to do about it in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, area.
What Is AC Refrigerant?
AC refrigerant, which includes products sold under the Freon brand, is a chemical that helps your air conditioner operate and blow cold air. It circulates in the coils of your AC unit and transfers heat by changing between a gas and liquid state.
Here’s a basic play-by-play of how an AC refrigerant works to cool your home.
- Cold liquid refrigerant moves through the coils.
- A fan blows warm air from your home over it.
- The refrigerant absorbs that heat, warming the liquid, which evaporates into gas.
- Because the refrigerant took in the heat, the air around the coil is cooler; that’s the air that’s pumped into your home.
- The refrigerant gas is pumped outside into your compressor unit.
- The gas is compressed to make it even warmer—hotter than the air outside—so that its warmth transfers to the exterior air and it cools down.
- The cooling gas becomes a liquid again and is cycled back through a valve that drops its pressure and makes it very cold.
- The entire cycle starts again.
If you have a heat pump, your system can reverse that process to ensure warmer air is blowing into your home.
What Happens When Refrigerant Is Low?
Without the right amount of refrigerant, an AC unit can’t efficiently run the process described above. When there’s less freon to absorb and transfer heat, the air in your unit doesn’t get as cold and your system may have to work much harder to reach the thermostat setting.
How to Tell If Your AC Unit Is Low on Freon
Common signs your AC unit is low on refrigerant include:
- It’s blowing warm air. The air coming out of your vents feels like the same temperature as the room around you or even warmer.
- Ice builds up on internal or external components. You see frost forming on the indoor unit, outdoor compressor, coils or any of the unit’s lines.
- You hear odd sounds from the lines. Bubbling noises or faint hissing sounds may indicate freon gas is escaping somewhere.
- Your electric bills are rising without explanation. Low freon causes your AC unit to work harder, which can draw more power than normal.
- The unit short-cycles. Low pressure in your system may trigger safety switches that power the unit off and on, causing your AC to run and stop constantly without much change on the thermostat.
- Water pools under your indoor unit. Ice accumulation on coils may melt quickly as your AC cycles without enough freon, causing the drain pan to flood and water to flow onto the floor.
Why Is Professional AC Refrigerant Service Important?
Many of the signs that freon is low can also be signs of other problems with an AC unit. Professional inspection and AC repair service can make sure the right problem is located and addressed. Even knowing how to find an AC refrigerant leak in some parts of your system can be difficult. You can create a soapy water mixture and spray it on exposed lines to see if any air bubbles up, but finding pinhole leaks in less accessible areas of your AC unit requires other methods. Refilling freon isn’t a DIY job, either, because technicians need certification to service AC systems in ways that could release refrigerant.
How Much Does AC Unit Freon Recharging Cost?
The Freon recharge cost for an AC unit depends on the age of your system, how much refrigerant you need and how much time it takes to find and repair the leak. Some older AC units use R-22 refrigerant, which has not been produced or imported in the U.S. since 2020. The type of refrigerant your system uses can also affect the cost of a recharge. You may also pay less for recharging freon in a mini-split or window unit than you’d pay for the service in a central AC system due to the amount of freon required and accessibility.
What to Do When You Need Emergency Air Repair Near You
Mild freon leaks aren’t usually an emergency, and you can contact HVAC service professionals to come out at a normal appointment time. You’ll likely want to get service within a few days to ensure you don’t have to deal with less pleasant temperatures in your home or potential extra wear and tear on your AC unit.
Some refrigerant leaks may be more urgent. Large leaks or those in unventilated spaces like a sealed basement could pose health risks. And if your AC isn’t running during a dangerously hot season or you have medically vulnerable people in the home, you may need a quick fix regardless of the reason. Contact Service Professor in the Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Grand Ledge areas for regular service or emergency air repair service.
