Heat pumps use refrigerant to absorb heat from the air, which is either transferred to the inside or outside of your home, depending upon whether its in heating or cooling mode. That allows the heat pump to warm your home in the winter when temperatures are low and cool it in the summer when things get hot and muggy. All of that depends on the right amount of refrigerant, however. When it leaks, it can cause some significant problems. Here’s a basic rundown on leaking refrigerant and heat pump repair.
Refrigerant can leak out of the system at any point, but often seep out from a breached line or an imperfect fitting between two components. It’s often undetectable to the naked eye, though trained service professionals have tools to accurately pinpoint the source of the leak. In any case, the breach invariably lowers the amount of refrigerant in the system, which depends on a very specific amount of gas to work.
The cooling process takes place in the evaporator coils, which receives a set amount of liquid refrigerant from the expansion valve. Once it enters the coils the liquid evaporates, drawing heat from the surrounding air in the process. If the refrigerant levels are too low, the pressure will be too low, and you can wind up with frozen coils that won’t be able to absorb heat from the air.
Repairing the issue means hunting down the source of the leak and sealing it before recharging refrigerant levels to their recommended levels. The experts at Touchstone Heating & Air can help. If you need heat pump repair in Gainesville, FL, give us a call!