Todo lo que necesita saber sobre los refrigerantes de aire acondicionado y cómo solucionar problemas de refrigerantes

Los refrigerantes AC son la fuerza invisible detrás del funcionamiento de su aire acondicionado. La capacidad de enfriamiento de su aire acondicionado depende de ello. Los refrigerantes absorben el calor y proporcionan aire fresco a medida que pasa por el compresor y el evaporador.

El mantenimiento de HVAC a menudo requiere la necesidad de verificar el nivel de refrigerante de su sistema HVAC. Si el nivel de refrigerante no es el adecuado, su sistema tendrá que trabajar más y no podrá enfriar como se desea.

Si depende de su aire acondicionado o bomba de calor, es bueno repasar sus conocimientos de HVAC. Lea y conozca sus refrigerantes de CA y sea capaz de identificar y solucionar cualquier problema potencial de inmediato.

¿Qué es un refrigerante de CA?

Como habrá adivinado, un refrigerante de CA ayuda con la función de enfriamiento no solo de su acondicionador de aire, sino también de un refrigerador, congelador o cualquier otro electrodoméstico que use enfriamiento.

Para saber más sobre la función de un refrigerante de CA, es importante saber cómo funciona un acondicionador de aire. Un acondicionador de aire funciona usando el refrigerante, que está dentro de las bobinas de cobre en el evaporador y el condensador, para absorber el calor en la habitación y expulsarlo al ambiente exterior. Durante este proceso, el refrigerante cambia de gas de baja presión a líquido de alta presión.

Esta es la explicación más simple para el ciclo de refrigeración. Luego, el líquido a alta presión sopla con un ventilador para expulsar el calor al ambiente. Para comenzar el siguiente ciclo, este líquido se comprime aún más y luego se expulsa rápidamente de una boquilla especial para convertirlo nuevamente en gas. Este gas frío luego sopla con otro ventilador para inyectar aire frío en la habitación y el ciclo continúa.

La historia de los refrigerantes de CA

El primer intento de un refrigerante de CA fue en 1928, por el esfuerzo conjunto de Thomas Midgley, Albert Henne y Robert McNary. Descubrieron estos compuestos mientras trabajaban en la división de aire acondicionado de General Motors. General Motors buscó producir una alternativa no tóxica y no inflamable a otros refrigerantes de la época, como el dióxido de azufre o el amoníaco. Sus refrigerantes eran de la clase de refrigerantes de clorofluorocarbono (CFC), conocidos por su nombre de marca, freón.

El principal refrigerante de CA que se descubrió fue el R-22, un hidrofluorocarbono (HCFC). Encontró un uso generalizado como refrigerante en las próximas décadas como el refrigerante de elección debido a sus propiedades favorables.

A fines de la década de 1980, cuando el mundo llamó la atención sobre las crecientes tasas de calentamiento global y otros factores ambientales, los CFC y los HCFC fueron objeto de un mayor escrutinio. Estaban dañando la capa de ozono y fueron prohibidos debido a sus efectos devastadores. En 1987, se colocaron en la lista de sustancias prohibidas del Protocolo de Montreal y se eliminaron gradualmente.

Tipos de refrigerantes AC

Clorofluorocarbonos (CFC)

La producción de CFC, también conocida como freón, se eliminó gradualmente en 1995. Algunos ejemplos de estos refrigerantes son R11, R12 y R115. Se consideraron inseguros para el medio ambiente, contribuyendo al agotamiento de la capa de ozono y al efecto invernadero.

Refrigerante R22

R22 o Freon 22 es un refrigerante HCFC que es básicamente un clorofluorocarbono pero con un átomo de hidrógeno para disminuir su vida útil en el medio ambiente. Después de que los CFC se convirtieran en el uso estándar en acondicionadores de aire desde 1960 hasta su eliminación total al prohibirse su uso en acondicionadores de aire nuevos en 2010.

Si su acondicionador de aire se instaló antes del 1 de enero de 2010, probablemente usó R22, aunque es posible que haya podido obtenerlo a un costo cada vez mayor antes, dejará de funcionar por completo en 2020.

R22 is also linked with environmental damage which is the reason behind its ban by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

R410A Refrigerant

The ban on R22 necessitated the introduction of a new AC refrigerant R410A, also known as Puron. R-410A is a chlorine-free refrigerant making it much less harmful to the environment without losing its cooling characteristics.

It is essential to be careful since HVAC appliances intended for R-22 cannot be used with R-410A, considering its higher operating pressures.

Moreover, R-410A permits higher for an HVAC system, as compared to one using R-22 as well as better air quality and comfort. With higher SEER and lower power consumption there is an added benefit of lowering the total demand for power plants, thus reducing greenhouse emissions.

Replacing R-22 With R-410A

With R-410A being mandated by the government, the phase-out for R-22 has been a concern for many homeowners. If you already have an air conditioning system using R-22, worry not; you won’t have to throw it out.

The government protocols only concern manufacturers and bans them from making R-22 compatible air conditioners or R-22 itself after January 2020. You can keep on using your old air conditioner as it is. If there is a need to recharge it with refrigerant after 2020, your HVAC technician will have to source recycled R-22 for replenishment.

At the end of your old conditioner’s lifecycle and when the time comes to replace it, you will be restricted to only buying R-410A compatible air conditioners.

But it might just be better to make the switch early. R-410A is safer for the environment and gives you much greater energy efficiency as compared to R-22 thus reducing your energy bills.

Refrigerants are not the only way of saving energy, though. Read on about the 101 tips through which you can reduce your energy expenses.

R32 – The Future of Refrigerants

With time, refrigerants have been making progress, and now it is time for a new class of AC refrigerants, known as R-32. ¿El resultado? Lower energy consumption and even lower environmental impact. Let’s see how.

R-32 is the talk of the town these days, and for a good reason. For one, it has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) which is 32% that of R-410A. The GWP is a measure of how much emissions a chemical substance is contributing to the environment. A lower GWP means fewer emissions and more environmentally friendly refrigeration.

Moreover, systems that use R-32 consume up to 20% less refrigerant in the system, saving up on costs even further.

Even though there is still some time in the widespread adoption of R-32, the future is very bright for this class of refrigerants. With countries such as Japan and China already implementing it, it is only a matter of time before the world at large moves towards these higher efficiencies. In the US reports suggest half of window ACs sold in 2018 used R32.

Which Refrigerant Does My Air Conditioner Use?

If your air conditioning system was built before 2010, there is a high chance that your AC has R-22. But there’s an even more authentic way to find out. You can look at the appliance description sticker on the side of the air conditioner’s outdoor unit. The type of AC refrigerant is written there. You can find it on the user manual, or you can contact your HVAC service representative and find out!

How Do I Tell If My AC Refrigerant Needs Work?

Now that you have a brief background on refrigerants and what they do, it helps be aware of some of the . The refrigerant in an AC is not something that you should generally worry about. They are built to outlast your air conditioner. But in rare cases, there can be a leak of the refrigerant, and you would need to top it up. We’ll go over some of the common problems below:

• Cool Air Not Coming Out of AC Vents:

If your AC is in cool mode, but there is room temperature air being blown out, you need to look at your refrigerant. This is by far the most common problem. An AC refrigerant is required to provide cooling, and without a refrigerant, it would not be able to do so.

There can be other causes for such a problem too, but a sudden shift from cool air to room temperature air is a tell-tale sign that your AC refrigerant leaks.

• Frozen Coils:

If you take a glance within your ductless indoor unit, you will see a network of copper coils, dark gold in color. The refrigerant flows to provide cooling within these coils. These coils are very icy to touch, but they should not be having frost over them in regular operation. If you see signs of frost on the coils, there is a high chance that the refrigerant could be leaking.

• Scheduled Maintenance:

It is better to have , especially before the start of a busy season. For air conditioners, this is just before summers start. At this time, a good HVAC technician can spot an AC refrigerant leak, and propose remedial measures.

The cause of leaks can be various. It can be a manufacturing defect, which has surfaced after prolonged usage, or because of damage encountered during use.

What Is the Solution to an AC Refrigerant Leak?

AC refrigerant leaks can be worrying, but they are extremely common. Let’s look at how to solve this common issue and keep your air conditioner running in top shape.

Recharging Your Refrigerant

Recharging means to top up your air conditioner with more refrigerant. If your system is low on refrigerant, you won’t get enough cool air coming out of your vent. Thus, the recharge is imperative.

A recharge should only be done by a professional contractor, due to the high levels of pressure involved. Moreover, there is increased risk of damage to your air conditioner, which can result in an even higher bill.

Your professional contractor will also find out any major underlying problem, such as a much larger leak, or loose fittings. These can cause problems further down the road as well. He will fix any minor leaks or issues on the spot, and recharge your air conditioner with refrigerant. Your AC will be functional in no time again!