Air conditioners rely on several essential components to generate chilled air, including refrigerant. Your home’s cooling system requires a specific amount of this chemical to function correctly. Unfortunately, refrigerant leaks rank as one of the most common air conditioning issues.
Learning how to know if an AC is leaking refrigerant will help you take action sooner rather than later. You’ll need professional AC repair in Bainbridge, GA, to address this issue. Waiting too long to find and fix a refrigerant leak can compromise your health and your air conditioning unit.
Why Air Conditioning Systems Leak Refrigerant
Why do air conditioners develop refrigerant leaks? The chemical responsible for absorbing warm air and moisture from indoor spaces flows through coils and lines within the system. This movement creates multiple points where a leak could form.
The most common culprits behind this cooling problem include:
- Deterioration: The copper tube walls inside the unit’s indoor coil may corrode over time, forming cracks and holes.
- Improper installation: Sometimes, inexperienced people fail to install air conditioners properly. They may fit parts incorrectly, allowing the gas or liquid refrigerant to seep out.
- Age: No air conditioner will last forever. Eventually, a unit’s components will wear down and increase the risk of a leak.
- Loose joints and connections: Corrosion and thinning of connectors and joints within the cooling system can lead to leaks. Thankfully, this type of problem is relatively easy to resolve.
Warning Signs of a Refrigerant Leak
It’s necessary to learn how to know if an AC is leaking refrigerant, as the chemical is harmful to your health. Exposure to its gas or liquid form can lead to chemical burns, dizziness, and frostbite. High concentrations can lead to unconsciousness or seizures.
If you have an older air conditioner with Freon that leaks, you may notice a sweetish smell similar to nail polish remover around your unit. However, modern refrigerants are often odorless.
Below, we list some other possible signs of a refrigerant leak to look out for in your home.
Exhaust Odor
If you don’t detect a sweet smell, you might notice a chemical one. If your air conditioner smells strange, turn it off immediately. Your next step is to contact a local HVAC contractor to assess the situation and provide a resolution.
Even if the odors in your home don’t stem from its cooling unit, it’s still better to err on the side of caution. However, a refrigerant leak is the most likely cause if you detect an exhaust smell and experience one or more of the following symptoms, which may indicate refrigerant poisoning:
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Breathing difficulties
- Severe sinus, throat, or nose pain
- Loss of focus
Increased Energy Bills
When air conditioners operate inefficiently, they consume more energy than necessary. A direct result of the overconsumption of energy is higher energy bills. If your monthly utility expenses are skyrocketing without changes to your household or lifestyle, the problem could be due to a leak causing your HVAC unit to work harder than normal.
Hissing Noises
Does your air conditioner make hissing sounds when it turns on? What you’re hearing is likely the sound of pressurized refrigerant seeping through a small crack or hole in the coils. Yet, if the sound you hear is more like a bubbling noise, you have a bigger leak on your hands.
Air Conditioner Not Cooling Your Home
An AC not cooling your home is undoubtedly frustrating. It’s also a sign that the refrigerant levels may be lower than usual. Without enough of the chemical, your air conditioner would take longer to cool your property.
Low refrigerant levels aren’t the only cause for this kind of cooling problem. Dirty air filters can also lead to uneven or inconsistent cooling. Troubleshooting this issue includes replacing the filter if it becomes clogged.
Water leaks
You may notice water leaking around your air conditioner if its refrigerant levels get low. A drop in the chemical’s levels can cause the evaporator coil to freeze. As the component thaws, the excess moisture may overflow the drain pan and spill onto the floor.
Frozen Evaporator Coils
A clear sign of a refrigerant leak is frozen evaporator coils. When there isn’t enough refrigerant to circulate through the coils, the chemical can’t absorb heat properly. This inefficiency can lead to condensation forming on the component, which then freezes.
Ice or frost on evaporator coils is cause for concern. It doesn’t only indicate a leak. It can also trigger a complete system breakdown if you don’t address the problem quickly.
How To Test for a Refrigerant Leak in Your Home’s Cooling System
If you want to learn how to know if an AC is leaking refrigerant, consider the bubble test, which is effective for identifying large leaks. The steps include making a solution with approximately one liter of water and half a teaspoon of dish detergent and then spraying it on the joints of the refrigerant lines. If a leak is present, you’ll see bubbles forming at the joints.
Let’s say you don’t feel comfortable testing your air conditioner’s refrigerant lines for a leak. In that case, your solution is to contact a local heating and cooling company for a system inspection.
A skilled technician can assess your air conditioner’s components and pinpoint the exact problem within the system. They can also safely repair the damage and recharge the refrigerant to improve your home’s indoor comfort and climate control.
Let Our HVAC Experts Address Your Air Conditioner’s Low Refrigerant Levels
Whether you’re dealing with an AC leaking water or refrigerant, we can help at Cooper’s Plumbing & Air. Our licensed technicians have over 20 years of experience resolving heating and cooling issues for residents throughout Bainbridge, Georgia. Thanks to our expertise, we know how to determine if an AC is leaking refrigerant, how to repair the damage, and how to recharge the refrigerant.
Don’t suffer in the heat due to a faulty air conditioner. Call (866) 464-7132 today to request an appointment with our professionals at Cooper’s Plumbing & Air.