Did you know that air conditioners in the West Texas area work by absorbing warm air instead of creating cool air? ACs absorb warm air by sending refrigerant, a cooling compound designed to absorb heat, through a system of coils located within the HVAC system.
What Happens When Refrigerant Levels Get Low?
Without adequate refrigerant, air conditioners simply cannot cool. When refrigerant levels get low, the Air Conditioner continues to run, but does not cool effectively. The unit must work harder to keep warm air out, straining the system and driving up utility bills. If refrigerant levels remain low for too long, the system will break down.
How Does an AC Unit Use Refrigerant?
Air conditioners house the refrigerant, (also known as coolant), in copper coils located throughout the system. The copper coils direct the refrigerant inside and outside the home in a process that occurs repeatedly every time the air conditioner runs.
Evaporator Coil
First, the HVAC unit draws warm interior air in through the return vent. That warm air then passes over the indoor unit’s cold evaporator coils. At this point, the liquid refrigerant in the evaporator coil absorbs the heat from that interior air and turns to gas form. This process cools the air and directs it back into the living space.
Compressor Unit
Next, the refrigerant travels to the outdoor unit — which houses the compressor and condenser — in gas form. The compressor pressurizes the gas and passes it to the condenser to be cooled and returned to liquid form.
Condenser Unit
Finally, the pressurized refrigerant gas reaches the condenser unit. Here, a compressor pulls the refrigerant through the condenser and expels the heat out of the unit. This process returns the refrigerant to liquid form and sends it back to the indoor unit to begin the process again.
The professionals at Arctic Air Conditioning will check your refrigerant levels at every service visit to keep ensure the system is cooling efficiently and effectively.
Call Arctic at 806-749-2327. We’d love to help you keep your Air Conditioner in top working order.