Don’t Run an AC System With Low Refrigerant

The air conditioning in your Chattanooga, TN, home works hard to keep you cool all summer. However, if it’s running low on refrigerant, it may not do its job properly. Here’s why it’s a bad idea to run an AC system with low refrigerant:

An AC System With Low Refrigerant Costs More to Operate

The refrigerant in your air conditioning system is what allows it to remove heat from your home’s air and vent it outside. If your AC system is low on refrigerant, its cooling capacity will be a fraction of its normal function. Your air conditioner will have to run longer and work harder, wasting electricity and raising your utility bill.

Low Refrigerant Can Cause Evaporator Coil Icing

Without enough refrigerant, your AC system won’t be able to absorb heat from the air. When that happens, the system’s evaporator coils will freeze over and block the airflow to the vents inside your home. That won’t only lead to a loss of cooling power but can also damage the coils and require an AC repair service technician to correct the problem.

Low Refrigerant Causes Compressor Damage

Perhaps the best reason that you shouldn’t run your AC system without enough refrigerant is that doing so could cause serious damage to its compressor. The compressor is the outdoor unit that vents the heat from your home to the outside and returns the refrigerant inside to make more cool air. Without enough refrigerant available, the compressor can fail, leading to costly air conditioning repairs.

Running an AC system with low refrigerant is a bad idea for all the reasons above. Don’t take chances with your AC system. Call Dalton Heating & Air today to sign up for an HVAC maintenance plan so that we can keep your refrigerant levels where they should be at all times.

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