Air conditioners are great inventions that keep our homes cool and comfortable. Modern homeowners usually don’t need to know much about the how and why behind what makes their air conditioners cool their homes. If we asked a random person on the street how an air conditioner worked, we wouldn’t be surprised if the answer was, “Not sure. Maybe, magic?”
That’s okay! It’s our job to know what makes your AC system tick, but we also enjoy sharing that information with you. That is why we want to tell you about one of the key components in your air conditioning system that is responsible for keeping you cool: the refrigerant.
What Is Refrigerant?
Refrigerant is a liquid substance that is cycled through your central air conditioner or heat pump and is responsible for cooling the air in your home. Without refrigerant, your air conditioner would really just be a very large and somewhat expensive fan.
What Does Refrigerant Do?
The refrigerant in your air conditioning system is essentially responsible for transferring heat out of your home. To do this, the refrigerant is turned into a gas so it can absorb the heat that is passed over what’s known as the evaporator coil. The heat is then carried to the outdoor condenser unit where the refrigerant is, you guessed it, condensed so that it can release the heat it is carrying outside of the home. This process “creates” the cool air that is blown into your home.
What’s Wrong With My Refrigerant?
Just like any part of your air conditioning system, the refrigerant, or rather the components responsible for evaporating, condensing, and holding the refrigerant, can malfunction. This can lead to issues such as:
- A refrigerant leak: If your system is leaking refrigerant, it will have problems with cycling it and therefore won’t be able to cool the air passing over the evaporator coil. This can be fixed by patching the leak and getting what is known as a “recharge.”
- No refrigerant cycling: If the expansion valve, compressor, or condenser in your AC is malfunctioning, the refrigerant in your AC may not be able to be cycled properly through the system. This can cause your unit to overheat and will leave you overheated too.
- You have R-22 refrigerant: R-22 refrigerant is a type of refrigerant that has been phased out of production as of January 2020 due to its harmful effects on the environment. It has been replaced by R410A. If your AC still uses R-22, it will need to be replaced with a system that uses the new type of refrigerant as eventually an R-22 recharge will become impossible.
If you are having trouble with the refrigerant in your cooling system and you need air conditioner repairs in Portland, you can turn to our team of professionals for help. We can patch leaks, provide quick recharges, and will do out utmost to ensure your AC is back in fighting form so you can enjoy summer in a comfortable home again.