Can Low Refrigerant Levels Harm My AC in McKinney, TX?

Refrigerant allows your air conditioning system to absorb heat from your McKinney, TX home and keep you cool when it’s hot outside. This chemical mixture will not burn like fuel, but corrosion, loose connections or damaged seals can cause it to leak from your air conditioner. Here are some problems that can occur if your air conditioning refrigerant level falls too low.

Reduced Cooling

When a technician installs your air conditioner, they’ll add a precise amount of refrigerant to charge the cooling system. If any of this leaks out, the system will have to work harder and won’t cool as efficiently. If your air conditioner isn’t cooling as well as it once did, it may need more refrigerant.

Coils Icing Up

You might not expect low refrigerant levels to lead to icing, but that’s what often happens. If the level in your cooling system falls too low, it can’t absorb the heat from the warm air in your home. When this happens, it can become extremely cold. This can cause the water vapor in the air around an air conditioner’s coils to freeze.

Compressor Damage

An air conditioner’s compressor converts refrigerant into a gas that has pressure, which then goes through aluminum or copper coils. When it leaks out of a system, the resulting drop in pressure can damage the compressor. If this happens, you may need to replace this component.

Routine Maintenance Can Prevent Low Levels

A low refrigerant level could damage your air conditioning system, making your home less comfortable. This is a problem that can be expensive to remedy, but regular maintenance can go a long way toward preventing it. Air conditioning systems should never be low on refrigerant. So, if a leak is found during maintenance or a service call, recommendations will be given on how to stop the leak.

Don’t let low refrigerant keep you from enjoying a comfortable home. Contact our team at Samm’s Heating and Air Conditioning for HVAC maintenance and repair services in McKinney, TX.