¿Qué aspecto tiene una fuga de refrigerante? 11 señales de una fuga de refrigerante de aire acondicionado que nunca debe ignorar

El refrigerante, también conocido como refrigerante o freón, es posiblemente la parte más importante de su aire acondicionado. El refrigerante AC es un compuesto químico responsable de absorber el calor del aire interior, expulsarlo al exterior y, por lo tanto, proporcionar aire fresco. Cambia su estado de fluido a gas y viceversa a medida que pasa por los diversos componentes de su acondicionador de aire para proporcionar aire frío (o calor en el caso de un AC reversible).

Ya sea que tenga un acondicionador de aire con conductos o sin conductos, utiliza refrigerante para enfriar su casa.

A veces, un refrigerante de aire acondicionado puede tener fugas, lo que dificulta gravemente la capacidad de enfriamiento de su aire acondicionado. Si su acondicionador de aire no enfría bien, sus facturas son repentinamente más altas, el agua gotea o nota alguna de las otras señales que se describen a continuación, debe verificar si hay una fuga de refrigerante de CA.

Si sospecha que hay una fuga de refrigerante o simplemente desea obtener información al respecto con anticipación para evitar problemas más adelante, ¡entonces este artículo es para usted! Explorar:

• Peligros de una fuga de refrigerante de CA
• Causas de una fuga de refrigerante o freón AC
• Señales de fuga de refrigerante del aire acondicionado
• Qué hacer si sospecha que hay una fuga de refrigerante
• Cómo evitar fugas de refrigerante de aire acondicionado

Peligros de una fuga de refrigerante de CA

Si bien el freón no tiene sabor ni olor, nos afecta a nosotros y a nuestro entorno. Una fuga de refrigerante es dañina para el medio ambiente, su salud y su unidad HVAC.

Peligro para el medio ambiente

Se descubrió que los CFC estaban agotando la capa de ozono, por lo que se eliminaron gradualmente. Sin embargo, fueron reemplazados por hidrofluorocarbonos (HFC) e hidroclorofluorocarbonos (HCFC), que vienen con su propio conjunto de problemas. Son gases de efecto invernadero extremadamente potentes. Por ejemplo, el HFC 134-a, un refrigerante popular, tiene un potencial de calentamiento global 3400 veces mayor que el dióxido de carbono. Mientras que el refrigerante R410A o sus actualizaciones se están cambiando hoy en día, muchos acondicionadores de aire todavía contienen freón o HFC.

La prevención y reparación inmediata de fugas de refrigerante, junto con la eliminación responsable de su acondicionador de aire al final de su vida útil, puede contribuir en gran medida a reducir el impacto ambiental de las unidades HVAC.

Peligro para los humanos

La fuga de freón es definitivamente un peligro para la salud y, en caso de una recarga, solo debe ser manejada por un experto. Si está expuesto al refrigerante durante un tiempo considerable, puede sufrir una "intoxicación por refrigerante". Aunque el envenenamiento accidental por refrigerante es raro, aún es necesario ser consciente de los posibles peligros. Los síntomas de intoxicación leve a moderada por refrigerante incluyen:

• Dolor de cabeza
• Mareos
• Vómitos
• Náuseas
• Toser
• Irritación de ojos, oídos y garganta

Para evitar el envenenamiento accidental por refrigerante debido a una fuga de refrigerante, repare cualquier fuga lo antes posible.

La intoxicación grave por refrigerante solo es común entre las personas que usan un refrigerante como droga recreativa y puede causar pérdida del conocimiento, convulsiones, coma o muerte súbita.

Peligro para su unidad de aire acondicionado

Dado que un refrigerante es el agente de enfriamiento, una fuga de refrigerante del aire acondicionado puede dañar enormemente el rendimiento de su aire acondicionado.

Cuando su unidad de aire acondicionado tiene poco freón, ejerce presión sobre los componentes de su unidad. Su unidad de aire acondicionado tiene que trabajar más para alcanzar la temperatura establecida, lo que puede provocar la falla del compresor si se ignora durante mucho tiempo. También puede hacer que las bobinas de CA se congelen, aumenten las facturas y el enfriamiento sea ineficiente en general.

4 causas de fugas de refrigerante o freón de CA

Existen numerosas causas detrás de una fuga de freón. El refrigerante no es algo que se agota o se agota con el tiempo; tiene fugas debido a un problema que conduce a pequeños agujeros que permiten que escape el refrigerante. Algunas de las causas más comunes incluyen:

1. Desgaste de la unidad de aire acondicionado

El desgaste relacionado con la edad es una causa común de fugas de refrigerante del aire acondicionado. Con el tiempo, las juntas y conexiones de su aire acondicionado pueden debilitarse y erosionarse. Además, los sellos de goma alrededor de las válvulas de servicio o los accesorios de acceso pueden desgastarse y causar fugas de refrigerante.

Moreover, if you delay or neglect HVAC repairs and maintenance for a long time, you will face this issue sooner than expected.

2. Pinhole Leak

Also known as ‘Champagne leaks’ since they create tiny bubbles, pinhole leaks are very minute holes in your AC coils. They normally occur in older units as a result of degradation over time and the main cause is certain acids such as Formic formed by Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that are generally present in the air. Products such as air fresheners, glues or paints contain VOCs making it very easy for them to reach your indoor air conditioning unit. Overtime, these can eat or corrode your AC’s copper tubing causing tiny leaks.

Due to the vulnerability of copper tubing to VOCs forming formic acid, manufacturers are starting to switch to aluminum coils.

3. Vibrations

Your compressor motor, located outside, is an important component of your AC. If your outdoor unit is improperly sealed, it can generate severe vibrations, weakening refrigerant lines. Moreover, if your refrigerant lines were improperly installed in the first place, even mild vibration caused by the system’s running could wear holes in the copper coils, leading to an AC refrigerant leak.

4. Physical Damage

Children, animals, and lawnmowers have the potential to cause damage to your outdoor unit. In addition, lawnmowers can project their cuttings towards the outdoor unit, leading to debris build-up. Children and animals can accidentally hit or throw something while playing. This can also cause all sorts of physical damage. To prevent any damage to your outdoor AC unit, surround it with a block wall or install it higher up.

Read our guide to learn how to hide the air conditioner unit outside.

11 Signs of an AC Refrigerant Leak

Has your AC been acting up recently, and you can’t figure out why? If your AC isn’t turning on or its performance has taken a hit, a leaking refrigerant might be the cause to blame. Here are some signs your AC may have an air conditioner coolant leak:

1. Decreased Cooling Ability

The refrigerant absorbs heat from your home and releases it outside. If you have low refrigerant levels, effective heat transfer cannot take place. Thus, if your air conditioner has suddenly lost its cooling ability and doesn’t narrow down to any other cause, a refrigerant leak may be to blame.

2. AC Not Blowing Cold Air

A quick test is to place your hand right in front of your vents. If the air coming from the vents feels warm and you’ve tried everything to fix it but failed, then your AC could have a Freon leak.

3. Long Cooling Cycles

When your AC has a refrigerant leak, it often has a harder time reaching the set temperature on the thermostat. As a result, your HVAC unit must run longer than usual to achieve the desired temperature. If you notice your air conditioner is taking too long to reach a certain temperature, it’s best to get it checked.

4. Low Airflow

Place your hand directly in front of your AC vents. If the air is cold, but the airflow is too low, you may have a refrigerant leak. An air conditioner with a coolant leak cannot produce as much cold air as normal. While there may be many causes behind poor HVAC airflow, it may be due to a leak if everything else seems fine.

5. Unexpectedly High Electricity Bills

Due to a lack of coolant, your AC needs to work harder to cool your room effectively, leading to higher electricity bills.

If your electricity bills have skyrocketed despite no change in consumption, an HVAC refrigerant leak could be to blame. Increased bills indicate your AC is working longer than normal to reach your desired thermostat settings.

6. Frozen Evaporator Coils

Notice your AC freezing up even at the peak of summer? When refrigerant levels are too low, the evaporator coils cannot absorb heat adequately. As a result, the condensation on the coils freezes. Thus, ice crystals on the evaporator coils are often the result of a refrigerant leak.

7. AC Leaking Water

When your AC stops running, the frozen condensation on the evaporator coils melts, and water drips on the floor. If you didn’t notice you had frozen evaporator coils, a puddle of water on the floor near your HVAC unit is also indicative of a refrigerant leak.

8. Increased Indoor Humidity

Dehumidification is a natural result of your air conditioner’s cooling process. A fully functional air conditioner begins to offer serious dehumidification benefits after 15 minutes of runtime. Thus, if your house suddenly feels humid, it’s a sign you have a refrigerant leak.

9. Hissing or Bubbling Sounds

A refrigerant leak is the result of tiny holes or cracks in the coils. When coolant leaks through these holes, due to its high pressure, it produces a hissing noise. If the leak is large enough, there may even be a bubbling or gurgling noise coming from your unit.

10. Tiny Bubbles in the Evaporator Coils

If your evaporator coil has tiny holes through which it is leaking refrigerant, you can detect them by a collection of tiny bubbles near the leak. These are also known as “champagne leaks” due to the presence of tiny bubbles.

11. A Sweet or Chloroform-Like Smell

Your sense of smell can be your strongest ally when attempting to diagnose problems with your air conditioner. Odd smells from your air conditioner often signal a deeper problem.

For example, most refrigerants have a sweet or chloroform-like odor. If you smell any of those, it’s time to contact a professional. However, some refrigerants are completely odorless, so keep an eye out for other signs as well.

What to Do if You Suspect a Refrigerant Leak?

Since refrigerant leaks can be hazardous, never attempt to fix them yourself. Always leave it to a certified HVAC professional. Be wary of any professionals who recharge the refrigerant without finding the source of the leak and fixing it.

The leak will reoccur, leading to expensive repairs in the future. A qualified technician will also be able to judge whether your air conditioner needs to be replaced or if it is worth fixing the leak.

How to Prevent a Refrigerant Leak?

Over time, pollutants and debris can build up on your coils, leading to the formation of formic acid. Formic acid can create holes in copper coils, leading to your air conditioner leaking refrigerant. Therefore, regularly cleaning your AC coils is the first step towards preventing an AC refrigerant leakage.

While refrigerant leaks mostly occur due to age-related wear and tear, you can still take some steps to prevent them. One of these is regular maintenance of your HVAC unit. Schedule annual maintenance, especially before the summer and winter seasons, to identify and repair any issue beforehand.

Though coolant leaks can put a damper on your AC’s performance, you shouldn’t be too worried. Once you know how to detect a refrigerant leak, you can easily contact an HVAC professional to fix it. Your AC will be up and running in no time! Just make sure it doesn’t get ignored for too long otherwise, you could end up with a bigger, more expensive problem.