Do you know what sets a heat pump apart from something like a furnace or a heater? It does not generate new heat, but transfers existing heat from the air outside into your home. Furnaces and boilers, on the other hand, create new heat. This is accomplished either by electric resistance or the combustion of a fuel like gas or oil. In this regard, heat pumps are a lot like air conditioners—both ACs and heat pumps use the refrigerant cycle to move heat out of a home (and into a home, in the case of a heat pump).
That is why a refrigerant leak is such a problem. Air conditioners and heat pumps don’t generate new “coolness,” but instead cool homes by removing heat via the evaporation of refrigeration. Without the right amount of refrigerant in the system, it won’t be able to accomplish this goal successfully.
Today, we are going to explore some of the ramifications of a refrigerant leak, and why they mean that you need prompt heat pump or air conditioning repair in Alexandria, VA when one develops.
Overpaying to Cool Your Home …
One of the first signs of a refrigerant leak in your air conditioning or heat pump system is a drop in energy efficiency. This is a common symptom of many different potential problems, of course, which is why it is so important you have any such problems evaluated by a professional promptly. You don’t want to assume it’s a quick, simple fix when it’s actually something as serious as a refrigerant leak.
If your air conditioner (or heat pump) doesn’t have the right amount of refrigerant, then the system is going to struggle to remove a sufficient amount of heat from the air. When this happens, it is going to work harder and harder to do so. This could result in overheating and short cycling, further wasting energy! If your utility bill is on the rise, a refrigerant leak may be the culprit.
… While “Enjoying” Reduced Comfort …
Do you know what will happen if you try to live in a home cooled by a system that is low on refrigerant? Your comfort will plummet! The system just won’t be able to get enough heat out of your home effectively enough.
You deserve more than a “good enough” performance from your home cooling system. To get a great performance, your air conditioner needs to have the right amount of refrigerant coursing it through it, and it needs to keep that refrigerant in the closed loop where it belongs!
… And Damaging Your System in the Process
Running an air conditioner/heat pump that’s low on refrigerant is one way to ensure you do real damage to the system. In fact, you could damage your compressor to the point it breaks down entirely. Assuming you don’t want to replace your entire system prematurely, air conditioning repairs in the event of a refrigerant leak must never be delayed.