Refrigerant and Air Conditioning

We have all heard the myth: If your A/C is not working well, all you need is a little more freon. However the myth of refrigerant being the be all end all of fixing air conditioning units. Adding refrigerant does not necessarily mean your air conditioning is going to work better. Some Denver HVAC contractors may try to trick you and charge an hour of labor and supplies for no fix. The only time additional refrigerant will help your evaporator coil is working below freezing. The unit must have a balanced charge. Only a certified Colorado air conditioning technician should add refrigerant because the right balance is a must. Refrigerant does not burn up. It does not need to be replaced unless there is a leak in because it is in a closed loop system.

If your unit does have a refrigerant leak however, it is easy to diagnose. The A C unit will cool for a few hours then stop. If the refrigerant coils freeze inside the air handling unit this is a sure sign you need air conditioning repair. Ice buildup blocks airflow over the coil. Low refrigerant causes the unit to operate below freezing and draw moisture out of the air, forming ice. Freezing ice is not like freezing air.

If you do have a refrigerant leak, you need to have it fixed. Leaking refrigerant is a hazard to people and the environment. State law says that Denver air conditioning companies repair all hazardous refrigerant leaks. Some refrigerants are ozone and global warming agonists. A low charge also hurts the efficiency of the air conditioning unit. This causes A/C compressors to run above their recommended range which leads to eventual replacement. Freon is also linked to the lubrication in some compressors, which can cause the compressor to seize from lack of lubrication.

Because the air conditioning element is a closed loop, refrigerant should only be added in the case of a leak. Residential units use a R-22 coolant. Prices are rising as R-22 is fazed out because of its ozone depleting properties. Phase out begins this year and is to be completed by 2020. Call our Colorado HVAC contractor and see what they charge for R-22 or if they have any replacement refrigerant available. The HVAC tech should find the leak when recharging an AC system. A certified HVAC system should not need to be refilled more than once a year. An efficient system should lower the temperature around 20 degrees.