If you’ve ever experienced a broken HVAC system in the middle of summer, you know how hot and uncomfortable you can get. There are a number of reasons an HVAC system may fail, and one of them could be leaking refrigerant.
How your HVAC System Works: The Basics
If you have a forced-air system, your air conditioner works through three basic steps.
First, a gas called refrigerant or Freon is compressed in a compressor and compressor coils in a unit usually found outside of your home. When refrigerant is compressed, it releases heat, cooling down to extremely cold temperatures.
Next, the compressed and cooled refrigerant travels inside of the home to the evaporative coils. These coils are next to a fan. The fan blows warm air from your home past the cold evaporative coils, cooling the air. The air is blown throughout your home.
Finally, as the refrigerant begins to decompress and regain the heat it gave off, it travels back to the compressor outside to complete the process again, until your home is the desired temperature.
Refrigerant is really what makes your air conditioning decrease the temperature in the air and cool your home. Without refrigerant in the system, the air that’s blown past your evaporative coils and throughout your home isn’t cool. Although the refrigerant in the system is in a looped system (meaning the refrigerant continues to go to the compressor to the evaporative coils and back to the compressor without any entry or exit points) this loop can develop pin-sized holes over time that leak refrigerant.
Read more:http://blog.landmarkhw.com/post/what-is-a-leak-detection-test-and-other-frequently-asked-questions
