You’ve got to be careful, though. After all, air conditioners can use up all of the refrigerants they have available.
Your home’s HVAC depends on an intricate interplay between its individual parts. If one component stops working, the entire system is liable to fail as a result. The refrigerant materials contained within the unit are what actually cools the air in your home. Then the air conditioner distributes that cooler air throughout the house. You’ve got to be careful, though. After all, air conditioners can use up all of the refrigerants they have available.
What Are Refrigerants in the First Place?
Let’s begin by talking about what refrigerants are supposed to be and do. These materials are either gaseous or liquid; either way, it extracts the ambient heat from your home’s air supply. That warm air is converted into cooler air. R-22 (aka Freon) and R410A (Puron) are the two main ones. Central AC used to rely on Freon, but it has been eclipsed by Puron. This transition is due to how Freon has been phased out. Why? Because Puron is much better for the environment!
How Do These Materials Work?
Even though we’ve already touched on how the refrigerants work, you might still have other questions about their function. If you were to look inside the copper coils attached to your air conditioner, you’d see the refrigerant. From here, the coolant captures gas and turns it into a liquid form instead. As it does this, heat is removed. Conditioned air is left behind while the warmth is expelled. Cycles of condensation and evaporation keep the fans and vents up and running so that the exchange continues until the HVAC reaches the desired temperature setting.
Dealing with Expirations and Depletions
Swapping out the air filter from time to time isn’t going far enough. When HVAC maintenance is necessary, you’ve got to think about other ways that improve efficiency. In this regard, low refrigerant charge is a huge problem. You’d think that the refrigerant depletes throughout its years of service. That’s not actually true. Leakages, however, can cause you to lose coolants. Think about it the same way as you would your car’s engine. Coolant liquids need to be replenished, although leaks will cause the fluids to run out sooner than later.
The Harmful Effects of Inadequate Refrigerant Levels
We’ll end this conversation with a description of the harmful effects of insufficient refrigerant. For one thing, this condition causes your HVAC unit to use more energy than it would need to otherwise. Thus, it won’t be as effective. Meanwhile, leaks can affect the environment and make undercharged amounts of refrigerant harder to overcome.
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William E. Kingswell has remained a distinguished provider of commercial and residential heating and cooling services since 1937. We have provided unmatched customer service to all of our clients. We enjoy being the preferred HVAC equipment distributor of countless customers. We offer a comprehensive range of high-quality heat pumps, boilers, unit heaters, HVAC accessories, and more. William E. Kingswell works with businesses and homeowners throughout Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, including Baltimore, Frederick, Annapolis, Fairfax, Manassas, Richmond, Fredericksburg, Virginia Beach, and Leesburg. To learn more about our extensive range of SpacePak, Concord, Allied Commercial, and Bard HVAC equipment, give us a call at 301-937-1900 or contact us today!