Signs Your Air Conditioner May Need More Freon
The frequency with which you will need your refrigerant topped off or recharged varies based on many factors including how often the air conditioner is used, how much Freon it holds, and whether the refrigerant line has ever cracked and/or leaked. As such, you need to rely on signs to determine when the unit may need to be recharged. Here are the signs that your air conditioner may be running low on Freon.
Your Home Is Not Cooling Quickly
The number one sign that an air conditioner may be low on refrigerant is a home not cooling as quickly as it once did. If you run your air conditioner and you notice that it isn't cooling or isn't cooling as quickly as it normally does, a low Freon level is the likely culprit.
There is Ice on the Refrigerant Line
Another tell-tale sign of low Freon in an air conditioning unit is ice on the refrigerant line. Look towards the back of your air conditioning unit. You will see two to three tubes extending from the unit. One tube is connected to a copper line on the back of the unit. This tube is typically black and smaller than the other lines. This is the exterior refrigerant line and the copper tube it is connected to is the interior refrigerant line. If you see ice on either of these tubes refrigerant isn't flowing like it should. This could be caused by a clog or low refrigerant levels. But either way, your air conditioning should be inspected and repaired.
High Energy Bill
The last sign that your air conditioner is running low on Freon is a higher than normally energy bill. When your air conditioner can't cool your home, it will run and run. This drives your energy bill up. In some instances, you may not realize this is happening because you may be at work during the hottest parts of the day. Unfortunately, a dirty air filter and compressor problems can also cause a higher than normal energy bill caused by your air conditioner. As such, if your bill is high, have your air conditioner cleaned and inspected to determine if low refrigerant levels or something else is causing the issue.
If your notice your air conditioner isn't really cooling your home, there is ice on the refrigerant line or your energy bill is increasing during the summer months, you may need to have Freon added to your air conditioner. This will help your air conditioner cool your home as it should and keep your energy bills as low as possible. For more information, visit sites like http://www.pacaire.com.