Air Conditioning Refrigerant Leaks

If A Refrigerant Leak Is Detected in You Atlanta Air conditioning System

Atlanta Air Conditioning

Caution should made to not recharge the leaking system because refrigerant gases should never be consumed. The leak should be repaired by an Atlanta air conditioning repair technician as soon as possible because many refrigerants are hazardous to the atmosphere and have either potential for Ozone Depletion (O.D.P.) and/or potential for Global Warming (G.W.P.).

The leak will also cause a low refrigerant charge that forces the compressor to run hotter than normal, the unit will overheat and eventually stop operating. The refrigerant will then begin to start removing any cooling, adding additional heat and stop providing oil to lubricate the compressor. For these reasons, it is very important to have the leak fixed and not patched up with more refrigerant.

R-22 Refrigerant is Going Up in Price

When replacing refrigerant after fixing a leak, the most popular refrigerant used by majority of the world is R-22 refrigerant. The primary reasons why this refrigerant is most widely used is that it is efficient, easy to use and non-toxic. However, since it can damage the ozone with the amounts of chlorine that it contains, it has recently began phasing out and is being replaced by non-ozone depleting alternative refrigerants. With this change, the prices of R-22 is expected to rise every year because of the smaller supply that will be readily available. This phase-out of R-22 began this year, 2010, and is expected to complete by 2020. With the increasing prices of the R-22, it is very important to inquire about the cost of the R-22 when scheduling an HVAC technician to examine the leaking unit.

When the HVAC service technician arrives, they will will attempt to find the refrigerant leak and it should take no more than an hour. If the unit needs to be charged, the temperature difference should only be between the return and supply of 12° to 20° Fahrenheit (delta T). This range is a determining factor if the air conditioning system is operating at full potential or not. If this range is not reading on the unit, then there may be an issue with the system. The problem could be a bad duct or it could be a mechanical / electrical issue. The HVAC technician will be able to tell the difference.