9 Causes of AC Refrigerant Leaks You Should Pay Attention to:
Leaking Refrigerant Lines
One of the most common causes of dribbling refrigerant is a leaky line. These lines are usually made of copper, aluminum, or plastic, and carry the refrigerant from the outdoor compressor to all system parts. If there is a leak in one of these lines, it will allow refrigerant to escape into the atmosphere. The most likely place for these leaks to occur is where they connect together or where they meet with other components such as an expansion valve or evaporator coil. This can be fixed by replacing any damaged pieces and sealing all connections with new O-rings or gaskets to ensure that no more leaks occur in the future.
Damaged Compressor
If your cooling system has been running for several years without being maintained, it’s possible that your compressor may have become damaged due to wear and tear. Over time, this can cause it to fail, which means that it won’t be able to compress any more refrigerant into liquid form so that it can be used throughout your commercial HVAC in Las Vegas.
Faulty Pressure Switches
The pressure switch is a device that detects the pressure inside your AC system and shuts off the compressor when it reaches a certain level. Unfortunately, these switches can fail over time, causing them to send an incorrect signal to your AC compressor. It can lead to leaks as well as other problems with your HVAC system.
Faulty Expansion Valve
The expansion valve regulates the amount of refrigerant in your cooling system. It does this by allowing hot refrigerant from the compressor to pass through it before returning to the condenser outside your home or business. If this valve stops working correctly, there will be too much or too little refrigerant in your system, causing leaks across all components of your HVAC unit.
Clogged Evaporator Coil
The evaporator coil is found in your air handler unit. It uses a blower motor to cool air before entering your home or business through vents and registers around the structure. A clogged evaporator coil will restrict airflow through these vents, leading to insufficient cooling throughout the structure and eventually causing a leak in your system.
Clogged Condensate Drain Line
Condensate drainage systems are designed to remove moisture from the air conditioner’s internal components and carry it outside the unit through a flexible hose. If this drain line becomes clogged with debris or corrosion, the system may continue to operate but produce excess water in your outdoor unit’s pan. This can lead to rusting and corrosion of electrical components and structural damage to the compressor and other parts of the unit’s interior. To fix this, have an experienced AC contractor in Las Vegas look at the system to see if there are any leaks or other problems with the seals that need repairing.
Bad Solenoid Valve
A solenoid valve controls the flow of R-22 refrigerant through an outdoor unit’s compressor section. It is controlled by an electric motor that opens or closes based on signals from a thermostat or controller board. If you have low pressure from the system or no cooling at all, check for voltage coming into your outdoor unit’s terminal box. If no issue is found, call a professional AC contractor to take a look at your unit and pinpoint the source of the problem.
Leaky Refrigerant Freon in AC Unit
A Freon leak can occur if there is a crack or hole in hoses that send Freon from your outside condenser to the inside evaporator coil in your house. Any leak or damage to your air conditioner’s coils or fins may cause an imbalance in pressure inside and outside your compressor. It leads to heat loss from your home or office during hot summer days when you are trying to cool down your living space. You can also see water dripping from your condenser unit all over the place, indicating a concern with an evaporator coil or coil fins, along with other components.
Faulty Refrigerant Metering Device
A faulty metering device can cause your AC unit to leak Freon gas into the atmosphere. If this happens frequently, it can cause extreme damage to your system’s internal parts, such as the compressor, condenser fan motor, and evaporator coil. If this happens, don’t waste time! Book your air conditioning service in Henderson right now.
It can be a nightmare when refrigerant leaks out of an air conditioning system and doesn’t shut the air conditioner off. Not only is your AC not cooling your house effectively, but you’re probably spending tons of money on electricity because the leak prevents your compressor from turning off.
If you fear you have an AC refrigerant leak, don’t hesitate to reach out to our HVAC experts at Zen Aire Air Conditioning and Heating. Whether you need AC repair or an AC maintenance service in Las Vegas, we’ll come out and diagnose your problem for free. To schedule your air conditioning service, call us at (702) 840-4986 as soon as possible!
