By going through repeated cycles of evaporation and condensation, refrigerant enables your heat pump to keep your home in Miles, TX warm. Because refrigerant is such a crucial part of the entire home comfort process, you must be able to tell when it’s leaking out of your system. Here are three signs that your heat pump probably has a refrigerant leak.
Declining Performance
The most important indirect sign of a refrigerant leak is a sudden decline in your heat pump’s performance. When the system is in heating mode and has enough refrigerant circulating through it, certain regular events should occur.
First, refrigerant sits in the outdoor evaporator coils and absorbs heat from the air outside, shifting to gaseous form. Then, the gaseous refrigerant moves to the compressor and becomes hotter and more pressurized. Now in a condensable state, the refrigerant goes to the condenser coils, condenses and releases its heat into your home.
When your heat pump loses refrigerant, it will also lose the ability to move as much heat around, leading to a decline in its performance. However, performance may decline for many other reasons. To keep your heat pump operating optimally, you must provide the system with annual maintenance.
An Ether-Like Smell
Refrigerant smells like ether, sweet and a bit acrid. Nothing else inside your heat pump carries this odor, so it’s a much more reliable sign of a leak than the previous one.
Hissing Noises
The most common way that gaseous refrigerant can leak out of your heat pump is through holes in the system’s refrigerant lines. Corrosion and ordinary wear and tear are the most common causes of such holes. When gas flows through this kind of hole, it will make a hissing sound.
If you notice any of the signs above, do not attempt to stop the leak or replace the refrigerant that your heat pump has lost. Refrigerant is highly toxic, so any actions of this kind will only put you in danger. Instead, evacuate your home in Miles, TX, call Bowles Heating and Cooling and ask for heat pump repair services as soon as possible.
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