Is Your AC Leaking Refrigerant?

Refrigerant is a vital part of your air conditioner unit. Without refrigerant, your AC unit wouldn’t be able to cool down the air, and your home would be a stifling, humid, heat dome.

Refrigerant leaks are one of the most common types of air conditioning problems. But because refrigerant is both colorless and odorless, it can be difficult to tell when your AC has a leak.

Check out these tips to learn if your AC might be leaking refrigerant.

Too Much Humidity

One big sign that your AC is leaking refrigerant is if you notice an increased amount of humidity in your home.

Refrigerant levels play a key role in cooling down the air in your home. When too much refrigerant is leaking from your unit, your HVAC system won’t be able to cool down the air, which will lead to an uptick in humidity.

Hissing Sounds

When your AC unit leaks refrigerant, it escapes out of the unit via cracks and holes in the coil.

These holes will almost always cause loud hissing noises. If you notice strange sounds coming from your AC unit (and see liquid seeping out of holes), call for help as soon as possible because you may have a refrigerant leak on your hands.

Refrigerant Poisoning

Unfortunately, refrigerant is a highly toxic substance. And because it’s colorless and odorless, it can be tricky to realize when you have a leak.

One way to know if you have a leak is if you notice you or any of your family members showing symptoms that resemble refrigerant poisoning.

Symptoms of refrigerant poisoning include:

Nausea
Dizziness
Fluid in the lungs
Difficulty breathing
Headaches

If you notice these symptoms along with liquid next to your air conditioner unit, call a certified cooling technician as soon as possible to inspect and complete air conditioning maintenance in Concord, CA.