When you hear the term”refrigerant” you are likely to think of air conditioning systems rather than heaters. Refrigerant is that trusty transfer medium that carries heat out of your home–so what does it have to do with keeping you warm in the winter? It’s a good question with a great answer: your heat pump uses refrigerant!
That’s right, your heat pump, which you know can both cool and heat your home, does its job through the use of refrigerant. So when your system springs a refrigerant leak, it is just as much of a problem now as it was four months back. Let us give you some more details about the issue with a heat pump refrigerant leak so you know why you should schedule a heater repair in Winder, GA with us.
How Your Heat Pump Works
Let us give you a quick crash course on how heat pumps work because it will give you a good idea of why a refrigerant leak is such a problem.
Heat pumps cycle refrigerant to transfer heat. In summer, your heat pump moves heat out of your home. In winter, this process can be reversed! Heat pumps can reverse the flow of the refrigerant in your heat pump to allow heat to be pulled from outside your home and disperse it indoors. The key to this process is your system’s refrigerant!
The Problem With a Refrigerant Leak
Refrigerant leaks can ruin your home comfort in summer and winter if you have a heat pump. A leak in your refrigerant line is going to allow refrigerant to escape your heat pump. This will make it harder for your system to do its job, leading to poor home comfort and increased energy bills.
Signs You Have a Refrigerant Leak in Your Heat Pump
Your heat pump needs refrigerant to do its job. This is why a leak is going to be a big problem. Here are some of the signs to watch for that will let you know when you need to schedule repairs to address a refrigerant leak.
- There is reduced heat from your system: If your system is low on refrigerant it is going to struggle to pull heat into your home which will leave things chillier than you’d like.
- Increased energy bills: Low refrigerant may not lead to poor heat first; it can result in high energy bills first. Your heat pump may end up struggling to get its job done and will consume extra energy to compensate.
- Signs of a leak: Wait a heat pump can leak? Believe it or not, yes! If the leak in your refrigerant line is in an area where the refrigerant is still in a liquid state, it can create signs of a leak like water marks in your home.
- Short cycling: Is your heat pump turning on and off again in shortened, rapid cycles? This is known as short cycling and can be caused by a refrigerant leak.
Let us help you stay comfortable. Contact American Comfort Heating and Cooling to schedule your heat pump repair. Bringing Comfort to America, One Home at a Time.
