Your air conditioning unit needs just the right amount of refrigerant to continue to function properly—neither too much nor too little, in other words. If your AC unit is low on refrigerant, the most likely cause is a leak. If you have reason to think that there could be a leak in your AC unit, you should call an air conditioner contractor in the Seattle area so that your leak can be tracked down and repaired. These are some of the most likely signs that your AC unit may have sprung a leak.
Your utility bills are unusually high. When there’s a refrigerant leak in your system, your AC unit has to run for more hours to keep your household at a comfortable temperature. You’ll see the expensive results of this when your electric bill arrives. If you want to ensure that the cost of cooling your home doesn’t get out of hand, always be quick to respond to any suspected AC leaks.
Your home isn’t staying cool. If you keep running your air conditioning and your house is still uncomfortably warm, a leak could be the culprit. When your AC is low on refrigerant, it’s much more difficult for it to effectively cool the air inside your home. If the air coming out of your registers is warm—or if there isn’t much air coming out at all—that’s another strong sign that your AC doesn’t have enough refrigerant.
There’s ice on your refrigerant lines. If there’s a refrigerant leak, the copper wire line on your outdoor AC unit can become covered with ice—even if it’s hot outside. When your AC has low refrigerant, it causes the remaining refrigerant to become too cold and cause freezing in your evaporator coil. To avoid expensive damage to your compressor, turn off your AC unit right away and call an HVAC professional.