If Your A/C Is Blowing Hot Air, It May Have A Refrigerant Leak

There is nothing more frustrating than coming home and finding that the temperature inside your house is almost as hot as outside. Unfortunately, this usually occurs at the worst possible time: during the height of summer. The good news is it could be a relatively easy fix or even preventable. A couple of places to start are keeping up with regular system maintenance.

One of the most critical components of maintenance is checking for refrigerant leaks and keeping your system fully charged. A refrigerant leak leads to system inefficiency and failure, and is also an environmental hazard. In addition, industry studies have shown that A/C systems as little as one-half pound low on refrigerant increase energy usage and electrical bills by as much as 20%.

If your system is more than a few years old it is probably charged with R-22 refrigerant, which means you need to be aware of a Environmental Protection Agency ban R-22 after Jan. 1, 2020. While systems that use R-22 can still be serviced until the deadline, it’s probably a good idea to plan for a system replacement sooner rather than later. Call Masters today to learn about newer systems that use more environmentally-friendly refrigerants such as R-410A. In the meantime, watch your system for any possible refrigerant leaks. If your A/C is not cooling effectively or you think it may have a leak, call us to schedule immediate service.

Regular maintenance also includes cleaning and replacing your system’s air filter. A clogged or dirty filter can lead to a decrease in indoor air quality and may damage the system’s evaporator. This can lead to your system being unable to cool the air and an increase in energy bills.

The heat and humidity of summer is not going to subside for a while and neither will the wear and tear on your system. Perform regular maintenance, and check your refrigerant levels more often during the summer months to keep your system happy and running smoothly.

Call Masters today to schedule a system tune-up.