Air conditioners are meant to keep your home cool and comfortable during the summer. Unfortunately, in the heat of summer, some homeowners think that the more refrigerant added to the air conditioning unit, the better! In fact, some don’t realize that they’re overcharging their units. Here are the four signs that indicate your air conditioner has too much refrigerant.

1. Shutting Down Automatically – Adding too much refrigerant can damage an air conditioner if left running. With that in mind, most units today are fitted with safety switches that automatically turn it off after detecting changes in air conditioner pressure. However, your air conditioner won’t turn on again until you call a professional to manually reset the switch, which can pose a problem on a hot day.

2. Increased Heat Discharge – If you notice that your air conditioner is blasting extremely hot air from its vents, it means the unit has too much refrigerant and the system is producing extra heat. This is due to the motors being overworked by the overpowered condensing lines. If you notice this is your problem, have a professional inspect the unit and rectify the issue.

3. Squealing Sounds – It’s crucial that you maintain the right amount of pressure in your air conditioner’s lines since the refrigerant is a liquid sprayed as a gas through your compressor. If there’s too much liquid in these lines, the refrigerant can force itself through tiny nozzles and spray hoses in liquid form. Unfortunately, this can easily damage the moving parts of your air conditioner, creating a loud squealing noise as they break. Once this happens, your air conditioner will need repairs to be restored to working order.

4. Increasing Energy Bills – Are your energy bills increasing even though you’ve kept up with the regular maintenance of your air conditioner? If so, it’s likely that you have too much refrigerant in the unit and it’s converting heat at a higher temperature than the equipment is designed to handle, causing it to consume more power to produce cool air.

Get Help From the Pros

Make your search for air conditioning contractors easier by turning to Anderson Refrigeration, your leading service provider when it comes to your HVAC and blown-in insulation needs. Give us a call at (575) 437-8792 or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We serve homeowners in La Luz, NM, and other nearby areas.


Filed Under: HVAC