What Are The Signs Of An Overcharged AC System

What Are The Signs Of An Overcharged AC System

Air conditioning systems, in order to provide effective and efficient cooling, need to maintain an appropriate refrigerant charge. If the refrigerant is undercharged or overcharged, the unit will not be able to produce and distribute cool air evenly. Therefore, to avoid serious problems, you should consider the following tell-tale signs of your system being overcharged and have an HVAC repair service to fix the issue.

Higher Cost Of Operation

An air conditioning system that is overcharged costs more money to run with less efficiency. Although most people might assume that more refrigerant leads to more cooling power, that is not the case. Air conditioning systems are programmed and equipped with features that allow them to run as efficiently as possible. Therefore, the air conditioning systems achieve this by balancing each aspect.

If the refrigerant level happens to be over, you should consider its effects on the system. Every air conditioning system is designed to handle an ideal refrigerant amount. The refrigerant absorbs heat; therefore, it needs to be in a gaseous state. However, if the refrigerant levels are high, it means that part of it will remain liquid. This calls for decreasing the overall efficiency of the AC unit.

In addition to that, higher refrigerant levels also increase the operation cost by forcing your compressor to use more amount of energy. An overcharged unit makes it comparatively harder for the compressor to do its job. This leads to an increase in the compressor’s ampere consumption.

Sticky Indoor Air

Another tell-tale sign of an overcharged air conditioner is that it will affect your indoor air quality as well in terms of humidity. The refrigerant flowing to the evaporator coils inside your home should be in a gaseous state. However, as mentioned previously, an overcharged unit will have some part of the refrigerant in a liquid state.

The refrigerant in the form of liquid does not possess the ability to absorb heat. As a result, the evaporator coils will remain at a higher temperature than usual. This will lead to the water vapors inside your home failing to condense around the evaporator coils. Instead of dehumidification, the water vapors will remain suspended in the air making your home feel much stickier and muggier.

Excessive Condenser Heat

The condenser is designed to help the refrigerant get rid of the heat as it passes through your house. Therefore, do not be surprised if you observe the condenser giving off heat. However, in the case of an overcharged unit, the temperature of the air being forced out of the condenser unit will greatly increase. You should be able to notice it by putting your hand on the condenser’s top.

This heat is not produced by any other components but due to high refrigerant levels themselves. Additionally, the overworked compressor also contributes a portion of heat. As a result, your compressor will overheat and give up entirely.

Non-Functioning Air Conditioner

An overcharged air conditioning system needs immediate attention. If left ignored, the unit will stop working altogether. As mentioned earlier, it might be due to the compressor giving up. Similarly, it could also be due to other AC components overheating and giving up.

Fortunately, the problem of overcharging is easy to solve. A professional can easily check and measure the pressure of the refrigerant. If the level is high, the professional will simply bleed the refrigerant until it reaches its optimum temperature.

Ensure Regular Maintenance Of Your AC Unit

An overcharged air conditioning system is usually a result of a shoddy maintenance job. If you were to hire someone who is not aware of the basics, chances are that he will overcharge the air conditioning unit. Every air conditioning system comes with a pre-specified refrigerant limit from the manufacturer. If you are unsure about the optimum level, consult the owner’s manual.

Final Word

An overcharged air conditioning system not only increases your monthly bills but decreases the indoor air quality as well. Although overcharging is rare in new units, it is not impossible. Therefore, if you observe the above-mentioned signs, make sure that you get your system checked by a professional. Look for multiple air conditioning companies Chantilly and choose according to your budget set for AC repairs.

HVAC Repair Services: Common AC Problems And Solutions

HVAC Repair Services: Common AC Problems And Solutions

The air conditioner, just like any other appliance in your home, it’s prone to problems. Here are some of the most common AC problems as given by HVAC repair services providers:

Stopping of the air conditioner

It’s a nightmare for many homeowners when the air conditioner stops working especially in the middle of a hot summer. This issue often comes about when the batteries are dead. All you need to do is to take a look at the thermostat batteries and replace them.

If still, the air conditioner won’t start, chances are that it’s not set as properly as it should be. In such a case, you should confirm that the thermostat is set in the “cooling” mode and you have set it at your desired temperatures.

Sometimes you will find the problem isn’t due to a faulty thermostat. In this case, you should take a look at the circuit breaker. You need to flip the breaker to the “on” position. If this still doesn’t fix the problem, consider contacting an HVAC expert to give the unit a look.

Failure of the air conditioner to work at all

Here you will turn on the unit, but it won’t start. This can be frustrating especially when you are baking in a hot house. In most cases, the AC will fail to turn on when there is no power going in. The circuit breaker might have tripped or the fuse might have blown.

The issue can also be as a result of broken or loose wiring. In rare cases, the issue will be due to thermostat problems.

You should start by trying to fix the problems that you can easily fix. For example, identify the reasons why there is no power flowing to the air conditioner. If having an electrical problem, consider hiring an expert to help you with fixing the faulty wiring.

Thermostat problems

When the thermostat isn’t working properly, it won’t signal the air conditioner properly. This not only leads to an improperly functioning air conditioner, it also leads to a unit that consumes a lot of energy.

The thermostat will fail to work properly when it’s not properly calibrated. If you have the calibration skills you should go ahead and calibrate the appliance, but if you have never done it before, let an experienced HVAC contractor handle it.

If you have the modern air conditioner, you can easily do the calibration by following the instructions given in the thermostat manual. The manual will also guide you on how to properly program the appliance.

Leaking or dirty ducts

When the air conditioner is properly set, you should have a room that is cold according to your expectations. When the room is warmer than expected, it means that there is improper air flow through the ducts.

Due to age or improper installation, it’s common for tears to develop in the ductwork. The purpose of air ducts is to carry the return air to the air conditioner for treatment and cooling; therefore, when there is a rip in the ducts, the cool air begins to escape inside the walls.

As you might guess, this leads to a warmer house. You also end up spending a lot of money on house cooling as the appliance is functioning inefficiently.

You need to hire an AC repair professional to go through your appliance and find out the torn ducts. If they are present, it’s the work of the contractor to fix them. Sometimes they can repair them while in other cases, they have to replace the ducts.

For you to avoid being caught unaware by the issue of dirty or leaking ducts, you should make a habit of inspecting your lines regularly. If you come across an issue, you should fix it immediately.

Drainage problems

The moisture removed by the air conditioner is removed through a drain line into a pan then funneled into a drain. In the event, the drain is clogged and the pan overflows, the water tends to back up damaging the system in the process.

For you to avoid this, HVAC contractors Fairfax recommend that you make it a habit of inspecting the drain lines and in the event, they are damaged or at the blink of filling up, replace or empty them.