Heat and Air Conditioning
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2021-06-18

Inspecting Your AC for Damage: 3 Signs of Freon Leaks

Freon is an essential element in your AC system’s cooling process. It’s a non-combustible gas used as a refrigerant, and it undergoes an evaporation process to produce cool air that will spread indoors. Although it has a practical application inside your AC system, it can be deadly to inhale on its own. This is why freon leaks can be deadly if not attended to immediately.

Inhaling freon can cause your lungs to freeze, leading to frostbite in your airways, loss of consciousness, or even sudden cardiac death. Unless you want to endanger your household with these risks, you must identify the red flags of freon leaks with your AC system.

Detecting Freon Leaks in Your AC System

All appliances generally break down due to wear and tear. However, not all broken electronic devices can become hazardous objects in your household. For this reason, you must treat freon leaks seriously by being conscious of your AC system’s signs of damage.

To keep your home safe from freon leaks, watch out for these three signs of damage:

1) Decreased Cooling Power

Freon’s only goal as a refrigerant is to absorb heat inside your home to transport it outside. If your AC system is operating normally but delivers a lower output, your house may not be staying cool enough. If you’ve altered your thermostat setting yet temperatures don’t change, leaks in your refrigerant compartment could be the cause of this performance issue. Although it may not be a freon leak, it’s best to stop using your AC unit before you can confirm your refrigerant component’s condition.

2) Higher Electrical Bills

Besides lower performance from your AC unit, another potential sign of freon leaks is a higher electrical bill. When you’re paying significantly more than your usual energy consumption, your appliances may be working twice as hard to compensate for structural deficiencies. If your AC’s refrigerant is low, your AC system will take much longer to reach the thermostat’s set temperatures. This requires more energy than necessary, leading to higher energy consumption.

It’s best to identify the average cost of your electrical bills per month to have a reference for potential issues in your AC system. Although energy prices fluctuate over time, a considerable spike in your billing is hard to miss.

3) Hissing Sounds from Indoor Unit

It’s generally easier to spot freon leaks from physical signs of damage. However, you can also detect freon leaks through auditory inspections. While AC systems have a soft humming sound when they’re running, hissing noises are not typical. If your AC system is emitting a gurgling sound, it may signify a freon leak where the refrigerant is escaping. It’s better to confirm our diagnosis by turning off all appliances or devices that cause noise in your home. Afterward, listen intently to your AC unit to check for odd sounds or noises.

Conclusion

If your air conditioner has freon leaks, it’s best to stop using it altogether and contact a professional HVAC technician to assess the damage. It may also be necessary to seek a check-up from your local clinic if the damage has been around for a long time. Don’t forget to wait for your HVAC technician’s go-signal before you can use your AC system again or if you’ll need to opt for a replacement.

Freon leaks are urgent concerns you need to attend to immediately with the help of professional HVAC technicians. At Soul Mechanical, we provide quality HVAC/Refrigeration and Plumbing services that exceed our customer’s expectations. If you need air conditioning repair at St. Albert, contact us today!

Freon is an essential element in your AC system’s cooling process. It’s a non-combustible gas used as a refrigerant, and it undergoes an evaporation process to produce cool air that will spread indoors. Although it has a practical application inside your AC system, it can be deadly to inhale on its own. This is why freon leaks can be deadly if not attended to immediately.

Inhaling freon can cause your lungs to freeze, leading to frostbite in your airways, loss of consciousness, or even sudden cardiac death. Unless you want to endanger your household with these risks, you must identify the red flags of freon leaks with your AC system.

Detecting Freon Leaks in Your AC System

All appliances generally break down due to wear and tear. However, not all broken electronic devices can become hazardous objects in your household. For this reason, you must treat freon leaks seriously by being conscious of your AC system’s signs of damage.

To keep your home safe from freon leaks, watch out for these three signs of damage:

1) Decreased Cooling Power

Freon’s only goal as a refrigerant is to absorb heat inside your home to transport it outside. If your AC system is operating normally but delivers a lower output, your house may not be staying cool enough. If you’ve altered your thermostat setting yet temperatures don’t change, leaks in your refrigerant compartment could be the cause of this performance issue. Although it may not be a freon leak, it’s best to stop using your AC unit before you can confirm your refrigerant component’s condition.

2) Higher Electrical Bills

Besides lower performance from your AC unit, another potential sign of freon leaks is a higher electrical bill. When you’re paying significantly more than your usual energy consumption, your appliances may be working twice as hard to compensate for structural deficiencies. If your AC’s refrigerant is low, your AC system will take much longer to reach the thermostat’s set temperatures. This requires more energy than necessary, leading to higher energy consumption.

It’s best to identify the average cost of your electrical bills per month to have a reference for potential issues in your AC system. Although energy prices fluctuate over time, a considerable spike in your billing is hard to miss.

3) Hissing Sounds from Indoor Unit

It’s generally easier to spot freon leaks from physical signs of damage. However, you can also detect freon leaks through auditory inspections. While AC systems have a soft humming sound when they’re running, hissing noises are not typical. If your AC system is emitting a gurgling sound, it may signify a freon leak where the refrigerant is escaping. It’s better to confirm our diagnosis by turning off all appliances or devices that cause noise in your home. Afterward, listen intently to your AC unit to check for odd sounds or noises.

Conclusion

If your air conditioner has freon leaks, it’s best to stop using it altogether and contact a professional HVAC technician to assess the damage. It may also be necessary to seek a check-up from your local clinic if the damage has been around for a long time. Don’t forget to wait for your HVAC technician’s go-signal before you can use your AC system again or if you’ll need to opt for a replacement.

Freon leaks are urgent concerns you need to attend to immediately with the help of professional HVAC technicians. At Soul Mechanical, we provide quality HVAC/Refrigeration and Plumbing services that exceed our customer’s expectations. If you need air conditioning repair at St. Albert, contact us today!