Air Conditioning Refrigerant Leak Detection for Southeastern PA

Your HVAC unit uses a fluid called refrigerant to cool and sometimes heat your home. This refrigerant is vaporized and condensed during the life of a cooling cycle, and it travels through many tubes and coils to help achieve the temperature you want.

These chemicals are harmful to the environment and can cause health issues, but it isn’t just environmental or health-related problem. A refrigerant leak will cause your air conditioner’s performance to suffer, and you will end up paying more for your energy bills as the efficiency declines. That’s why it’s so important to detect refrigerant leaks before the issue becomes too widespread. The lack of cooling from a leak becomes most apparent during the hotter days when you need your AC the most.

Contact Mattioni online or call 610-400-8510 to schedule refrigerant leak detection services in the Media, PA, area!

What Is AC Refrigerant?

To properly cool your home, an air conditioner uses refrigerant to absorb heat from the environment, runs that hot air through a series of compressors and evaporators, and returns it to your home. The refrigerant changes from a fluid to a gaseous state during this process, which helps with heat absorption. Though air conditioners can have different types of refrigerants, they all work in basically the same way.

How To Tell Your AC Is Leaking Refrigerant

Is a refrigerant leak affecting your air conditioner or heat pump? Here are a few ways to identify this common source of cooling woes:

• Visible or audible leaking: The most obvious sign of a refrigerant leak is if you see a hole or tear in your line — or hear one. You might hear a bubbling or hissing noise as refrigerant escapes a leak, even if you don’t see where it’s ending up. Leaking refrigerant will almost certainly be a gas, so it might be condensation if you see something leaking.
• Lost comfort: If your air conditioner used to keep you comfortable but isn’t anymore, it might be losing refrigerant and thus cooling power without anything else changing much.
• Freezing: While AC component freezing usually occurs due to dirty coils or reduced airflow, it can also result from a severe refrigerant leak causing a drop in pressure in the system.
• Increasing energy bills: Because your AC loses cooling power when it loses refrigerant, it needs to work harder and longer to achieve the same results. If your system is big enough and hasn’t leaked a lot yet, your comfort may not suffer — but you’ll see that extra work reflected in your power bill.
• Illness: Refrigerants are toxic for humans, meaning prolonged exposure to a significant leak can result in headaches, irritation of the skin, eyes, and lungs, and other symptoms. Fortunately, exposure from an AC leak is usually mild.

Suspect a refrigerant leak is affecting your air conditioner or have other problems? Call 610-400-8510 or contact Mattioni online to schedule a visit for refrigerant leak detection and repair in Southeastern PA.

The Dangers of HVAC Refrigerant Leaks

Refrigerant is necessary for your air conditioner to do its job, but unfortunately, refrigerant leaks are common and problematic. If your system becomes low on refrigerant, it can’t do its job, and you are left with a home that is too hot. If the refrigerant levels continue to drop, your air conditioner can freeze up, causing it to not work at all. If you continue to run the air conditioner, this frozen unit can cause serious damage. Refrigerant is also harmful to the environment, so stopping leaks is important for everyone.

If you suspect that you have a refrigerant leak, don’t wait. Call the family-owned HVAC business at Mattioni Plumbing, Heating & Cooling for prompt help from NATE-certified technicians. Contact us at 610-400-8510 or reach out online for help.

Air Conditioner Refrigerant Leak Detection Experts in Collegeville, PA

When you’re not sure who to turn to to keep your air conditioner free of leaks, we’re here to help. Mattioni Plumbing, Heating & Cooling’s expertise and know-how are unmatched, so you know you’ll be in good hands with a team of technicians who can spot the smallest signs of a refrigerant leak.

The key, of course, is to make the call early. Don’t wait around until the air conditioner has stopped working completely — let Mattioni Plumbing, Heating & Cooling know at the first sign of trouble, and we’ll stop the leaking refrigerant in its tracks! Be sure to ask about our club memberships where tune-ups are included. We’ll check for leaks and proper refrigerant levels during our tune-ups.

Give us a call at 610-400-8510 for the AC service you can count on!