During the warmer months, air conditioning is one of the most crucial parts of our modern lives. It provides comfortable conditions when the heat outside is unbearable, allowing people to stay cool, comfortable, and safe. The air conditioning system is a complex one that must be properly maintained so that it does its job.
When maintaining an HVAC system, one of the most crucial things that are done is checking to make sure the unit has adequate refrigerant. Refrigerant, also known as coolant, is a critical component in cooling your space.
Running Your Air Conditioner without Refrigerant
You cannot run your air conditioner without coolant. It is a critical part of your air conditioning system, and without it, your air conditioner will not cool. In fact, by running your air conditioner when it lacks coolant, you could end up with costly repairs.
What Happens When You Run Your AC without Coolant
When you run your air conditioner without an appropriate amount of coolant, it will not take long to notice that your home is not being cooled adequately. You could hear the compressor coming on and running more often than it usually does. You may also notice that the air coming out of your vents is not cold.
If you continue to run your air conditioner when these are its symptoms, you could be in for problems soon. By increasing the unit’s job, you are exposing it to unnecessary wear and tear. In turn, this will shorten the lifespan of the unit and will likely mean you will have to repair it far more frequently.
Because the compressor is coming on more often because it lacks refrigerant, your power bill is likely to be noticeably higher. This often happens when you constantly are trying to cool your home with a unit that is not working properly.
What to Do if Your Coolant Is Low
Call an HVAC technician if you suspect that your refrigerant is running low. The experienced technicians at Ambient Edge can likely determine whether your coolant is low and can recharge it fairly quickly. Adding refrigerant is a job for professionals, so refraining from approaching it as a DIY job, the substance is regulated and, if treated incorrectly, can be dangerous as well as illegal.
Professional HVAC repairpersons will perform a series of diagnostic tests to determine if low coolant is the reason it is not cooling properly. They might measure the pressure of the refrigerant lines, inspect for leaks and determine whether there is any damage to your compressor or other parts of your air conditioner. If your coolant is low, they will recharge it and will seal any leaks to prevent future loss if they find that is a necessary next step.
What Coolant Is and Why It Is Important
The substance that absorbs heat from the air in your home is the coolant or refrigerant. It is why your HVAC unit performs the miracle of keeping your interior temperatures comfortable, even on the hottest day. It works to turn warm air to cool air and helps to keep the temperature indoors nice and cool.
If your air conditioner system lacks coolant, it will only circulate warm air around your home. This makes the system unproductive and leaves your home or business uncomfortable.
Puron
Typically, the refrigerant utilized in residential HVAC systems is R-410A, also known by the brand name Puron. Puron does not deplete the ozone the way the refrigerant Freon did. So, it has been used as a primary refrigerant since 1996.
You may have heard the term Freon used as an all-encompassing term for refrigerants. But, in 1990, that particular refrigerant was found to cause environmental damage. So, Freon has been phased out since then.
What Happens When Your Air Conditioner’s Coolant Runs Out
When your air conditioner’s coolant runs out, your HVAC system will no longer be able to maintain cooler temperatures in your home or business. A refrigerant’s job is to absorb heat inside the home and carries it back outdoors. If your HVAC system lacks coolant, it cannot do this.
Not only will your air conditioner not cool your space, but if you run your air conditioner when it is low on refrigerant, it could cause damage to the unit. The compressor is a key component of your HVAC system.
It compresses the refrigerant and circulates it throughout the entire system. When there is too little refrigerant in the system, the compressor may become overheated and can break. This can quickly become an expensive repair.
Adding More Coolant May Not Fix the Problem
If your air conditioning system is leaking refrigerant, simply adding more coolant is not a real solution to the problem. It will continue to leak, causing you to lose coolant again and again.
The professionals at Ambient Edge not only identify leaks and refill coolant, but they address the heart of the issue, how the coolant is slipping away, to begin with. By not addressing these issues, you may be setting yourself up for costly repairs.
Sometimes, the repairs necessary to restore a unit to an efficient one are more expensive than it is worth. If yours is an older, less efficient unit anyway, you may be throwing good money after bad if you continue to do repairs. It could be more cost-effective to purchase a new, more efficient unit and have it installed by Ambient Edge.
Do Not Run Your Air Conditioner without Coolant
So, the answer to the question we posed earlier is that running your air conditioner without coolant is an inviable option. It will not cool your space, it may damage your entire system, and it can cause your electric bill to skyrocket while doing nothing to make your home or business more comfortable.
Contact the professionals at Ambient Edge, day or night. They can diagnose the problem with your HVAC unit and can add refrigerant if low levels are what is causing the problem with your unit. By repairing the leaks and ensuring your unit runs efficiently, you can once again enjoy a cool and climate-controlled home or business.