Summer is almost here, and people are busy preparing their homes for the hottest months of the year. We often have homeowners ask us if they need to refill their air conditioners with refrigerant before summer sets in, to make sure that they’re in top operating condition. Let’s take a look at how your air conditioner uses refrigerant, and when you need to have it refilled.
Refrigerant
Air conditioners use refrigerant to move heat from inside the home out of the home. It is the core of the system, and without it the air conditioner cannot operate. The process starts in a part called the evaporator coil, which is located in the inside unit of the system just below the ducts. The evaporator coil evaporates refrigerant to draw thermal energy out of the air from the ducts, then sends it down the refrigerant line to the unit outside the home. The outside unit of the air conditioner contains the condenser coil, which condenses the refrigerant gas back into liquid. This releases the collected heat outside of the home. Then the refrigerant is sent back to the evaporator coil, and the whole process begins again.
When You Need Refrigerant Refills
The air conditioner doesn’t consume refrigerant during operation, it simply recycles it back and forth between liquid and gaseous forms. So, the only time you should ever need to refill the refrigerant levels in your air conditioner is if a leak develops in the refrigerant line. Refrigerant leaks can be a huge threat to the system, causing all sorts of problems including eventual breakdowns. If you see fluid leaking from your air conditioner, you should call for repairs immediately so we can patch the leak and replace any lost refrigerant.
Rentmeister Total Home Service offers air conditioner repair services throughout Ogden, UT.