Chances are, you probably think you’re utility costs are high enough. Running air conditioners in the West Palm Beach, FL summers can get expensive. However, if you’ve noticed your air conditioner isn’t able to keep up lately, then high utility costs are only the start of your concern. Your air conditioner uses refrigerant to keep the air in your home cool and comfortable. If there’s a leak that’s allowing it to escape, you could find that your unit struggles to keep the air cool, increases your energy costs, and leaves you with general discomfort in your home. At Cleary Plumbing and Air, we specialize in refrigerant leak detection and repair. Our experts can locate the problem area, repair it, and get your system recharged and cooling again in no time!
Refrigerant often leaks because of damage to the evaporator coil. With regular maintenance, these problems can be caught before they become more costly issues.
Signs Your AC Needs Refrigerant
Refrigerant is what does the work of cooling your home. When it’s low, there are several signs that could indicate you may have a leak. These signs can include:
- No Cold Air
- Water Leaks Around Blower Unit
- High Utility Bills
- Longer AC Run Times
- Fluctuating Temperatures
- Frozen Coils
When your AC is low on refrigerant, it has to work hard to try and keep up with demand. Making your unit work harder than it needs to is a big factor in the premature failure of AC units. Learning to recognize the signs of trouble can help protect your unit and get your home cool again in no time.
Why Call a Professional?
Recharging your air conditioner’s refrigerant is far beyond the abilities of a do-it-yourselfer, and it is actually illegal for an unlicensed individual to do so. Refrigerants are EPA regulated chemicals that are only allowed to be handled by licensed contractors. Freon is probably the most commonly known refrigerant. The reason for the stringent regulations is because refrigerants have been found to do massive amounts of damage to the ozone layer in the earth’s atmosphere. As a result, their production and handling are overseen by government agencies to prevent their damage.
Refrigerants are contained in a high-pressure system. Our West Palm Beach air conditioning repair technicians have specialized tools that allow them to safely add refrigerants at the proper pressures and check for AC refrigerant leaks. When you call us to check your refrigerant levels, you can be sure that we are not only topping off the levels, we’re also checking for leaks and other causes of inefficiencies.
Need an AC tune-up? Be sure to ask about our maintenance plans and how they can help keep your air conditioner working in top shape.
Freon Recharge Experts
As older, less environmentally friendly refrigerants are phased out, many consumers are faced with the decision of Freon replacement. As of January 2020, no newly manufactured units are able to be charged with Freon. Freon-containing units may still be serviced, however. As a result, many consumers are preemptively making the switch to Puron. Puron is safer and more environmentally friendly and can help your unit run more efficiently.
At Cleary Plumbing & Air, all of our technicians are ready and licensed to change your unit to the new, safer refrigerant. Not only will we recharge your system to ensure it’s cooling properly, but we’ll also look for any leaks to help you avoid wear and tear on your air conditioner.