If you’ve recently researched potential air conditioner problems, you may have come across an AC refrigerant overcharge. Aside from a little spillage, is too much coolant in your property’s air conditioning system such a big deal?
Below, Wentworth’s ultimate AC repair services team from Georgia Air Cooling & Heating discusses the vital role that refrigerant plays and why overcharging it causes problems. Wentworth locals choose us for air conditioner repairs because we offer prompt response times and competitive prices, so give us a call!
What Does Refrigerant Do for Your Air Conditioner?
Refrigerant or coolant acts as the lifeblood of an air conditioner. It’s a bit like your body’s circulatory system transports oxygen to keep you alive. The air conditioner’s refrigerant circulates through the coils to transport warm air out of your home and fresh, cold air into it.
During the heat transfer, this substance changes from a liquid to a gas and back again. The coils form a closed loop system to allow it to do this freely.
How does this heat transfer process work via the refrigerant?
- Your property’s indoor air conditioning unit draws in warm air, passing it over the cold evaporator coil.
- The moisture from the air collects on the coil, reducing humidity, while the refrigerant in the evaporator coil absorbs the air’s heat.
- The increase in the refrigerant’s temperature changes it from a liquid to a gas.
- The gaseous refrigerant travels to the compressor, which is housed in the outdoor portion of your air conditioner.
- After that, the compressor literally pressurizes this warm refrigerant gas, further increasing its temperature and moving it along.
- The hot refrigerant gas now moves to the condenser, where a fan blows over the coils.
As it cools, the refrigerant gas will release the heat it has been carrying outdoors and change back into a liquid to restart the process. If your system’s refrigerant levels are low – whether from a leak or some other problem – this heat transfer process won’t work. However, recharging it isn’t always as straightforward as it sounds.
Signs You Have an Overcharged Air Conditioner
Leaks can occur due to wear and tear or damage, and your system can’t generate refrigerant – you have to refill it. However, as a powerful chemical, the refrigerant can harm your health and the environment if mishandled. The importance of refrigerant makes it easy to see how low levels can inhibit your device’s cooling capability, but experts strongly caution against DIY air conditioner repair, especially one involving refrigerant.
Typically, an AC refrigerant overcharge happens when you try to refill it yourself or have some underqualified individual attempt it for you. If you’ve done that against your better judgment, and now you’re noticing the following signs that your system has too much refrigerant, you’ll want to call for professional assistance:
Poor Cooling Performance
Excessively high refrigerant pressure in your cooling system leaves it vulnerable to refrigerant leak risks. At best, this leads to reduced cooling efficiency. More often, you’ll experience warm air blowing out of the vents.
If the refrigerant is only slightly overcharged, your air conditioner may just take longer to reach the set thermostat temperature. Still, if you’ve topped off the refrigerant but haven’t repaired the underlying problem, you might find the levels drop quickly again, taking your unit’s cooling capabilities completely offline. With the high temperatures and humidity in Wentworth’s summertime, this is a health and safety risk that needs immediate attention.
Rising Energy Bills
It might seem counterintuitive as you think about what the coolant achieves in the unit, but an AC refrigerant overcharge does not help the unit’s cooling efficiency. In fact, you will almost certainly see your energy bills rise significantly with overcharged refrigerant levels.
If there’s too much refrigerant, the heat transfer process suffers. This reduced efficiency, in turn, means the unit has to work harder to cool your property. Working harder only leads to increased energy consumption, which shows up in the bill at the end of the month.
If you can’t blame a sudden utility bill spike on increased usage or rate hikes, schedule repairs to see if the technician can help you restore your cooling unit’s energy efficiency. Refrigerant levels are only one problem that could be affecting your unit’s performance.
Frozen Coils
Another sign of a refrigerant problem would be frozen evaporator coils or condenser coils. Without refrigerant, your air conditioner can’t properly transfer heat. Excess condensation on the coils will then freeze over.
Dirt buildup on your air filter or coils can cause the same problem. If you notice ice, call an HVAC specialist to diagnose and fix the issue accurately.
Increased Compressor Noise
If you have highly pressurized refrigerant – which happens when you overcharge the levels in the coils – it has trouble flowing through the expansion valve. This is the point where coolant should travel from the condenser back into the evaporator coil.
Squeezing the pressurized liquid through this tiny space becomes almost impossible. This clog often makes a whistling, hissing, or squealing sound.
System Shutdown
When you have an AC refrigerant overcharge derailing your Wentworth home’s cooling system, it shuts down before the space reaches its correct temperature. After several minutes, the thermostat then reads the differential, and kicks on the cooling system to try again. HVAC experts call this short cycling.
Typically, short cycling occurs when your device overheats and shuts down to prevent a fire hazard. Once it cools off, it activates again. However, whatever causes it, short cycling needs an expert to handle the problem.
Caring for Your Air Conditioning System
Do you want to avoid issues with your air conditioner? When you incorporate the following habits, you’ll gain benefits like reduced energy bills, increased comfort, and cost savings:
Annual Air Conditioner Maintenance
The best thing you can do for your air conditioner is to schedule regular maintenance to detect problems early. You won’t have to spend as much on energy bills or remediating problems like overcharged refrigerant levels. These maintenance plans also extend the life of your air conditioner, ensuring you can delay those expensive replacements.
During maintenance, expect your HVAC technician to perform the following tasks:
- Conduct a general evaluation
- Check and restore refrigerant levels
- Examine components and connections
- Clean coils
- Inspect the condensate drain
- Lubricate all mechanical parts
- Test the system’s operation
- Calibrate the thermostat
Scheduling maintenance in the late spring ensures the system makes it through the summer’s heavy usage.
Prompt Cooling Repairs
If you want to avoid an AC refrigerant overcharge, just schedule repairs the moment you notice a problem with your air conditioner. Subpar cooling performance won’t save you any money, so why delay getting repairs? Your comfort and wallet are counting on you.
Also, you don’t operate a malfunctioning air conditioner and worsen the problem. It could destroy your air conditioner and force you to replace it early.
Moderate Air Conditioner Usage
The more you use something, the faster it wears out – including air conditioners. As such, the United States Department of Energy advises homeowners to set their thermostats to 78 degrees to extend the life of an air conditioner. When you sleep, turn it down to 70 degrees.
Are you worried you won’t feel comfortable in your home with such a high thermostat setting? Try these tips:
- Use fans: You can increase the airflow in your home via ceiling fans, box fans, or a cross breeze through strategically opened windows. Keeping the air moving can make the temperature feel five to seven degrees cooler.
- Increase insulation: If you’d like to avoid an AC refrigerant overcharge, try improving the insulation in your home so that it stays cooler for longer. Blackout curtains and solar shades could also block out more sunlight – a significant source of heat in your home.
- Wear loose clothing: To stay cool in your home at a higher temperature, wear comfortable, loose clothing that wicks the moisture from your body. The most effective materials include polyester, nylon, and polypropylene.
- Enjoy cold food and drink: Consuming cold food and drinks can keep you cool.
You can also avoid using appliances like the oven or dryer on really hot days.
Timely Upgrades
When you upgrade your air conditioner at the right time, you could avoid the more serious age-related cooling issues. Expect your air conditioner to last between 15 and 20 years, depending on how frequently you use it and your commitment to reliable maintenance.
How can you tell if upgrading your device constitutes a good investment? If recent repairs haven’t lowered your energy bills or boosted your comfort, you have a clear indication.
You can also multiply the cost of repairs by the age of the device. Does the total equal at least $5,000? If it does, you’ll save money by installing a new air conditioner.
Georgia Air Cooling & Heating Can Solve Your Refrigerant Issues
Now you know the signs and complications of an AC refrigerant overcharge. Why not call Georgia Air Cooling & Heating for efficient AC replacement and installation, inspections, or simple repairs in Wentworth? You’ll love our prompt response times, competitive prices, and friendly demeanor.
Book an appointment by calling us today!