Refrigerant is an essential part of your heat pump, and if it’s low, it can cause serious problems. Here are four signs that your heat pump is low on refrigerant:
Low Heating and Cooling
Refrigerants play a critical role in heating and cooling. It helps to move heat from the indoors to the outdoors or vice versa, depending on your heat pump’s mode. If your refrigerant levels are low, it’ll be less effective at moving heat, which can reduce heating and cooling capacity.
Ice on the Heat Pump
Ice buildup on the unit is most likely to occur in the winter when the heat pump operations are at their peak. The ice forms because low refrigerant levels may cause the condenser coils to freeze. As the coils freeze, they become less effective at heat transfer, which makes the unit work harder to maintain the desired temperature.
Pooling Liquid
Pooling liquid around the heat pump is another sign of low refrigerant levels. This can happen because low refrigerant levels cause the unit to overheat, leading to coils leaking. Refrigerant can also escape and pool around the unit if there’s a hole in the coil. This is a serious problem that needs immediate repair.
Gurgling Sound
When your heat pump has enough refrigerant, it’ll flow freely through the system. However, when it’s low, the refrigerant can pool in pockets and make a gurgling sound as it tries to escape. You’ll hear the sound when the system first turns on since that’s when the refrigerant is likely to be the most stagnant.
If you notice these signs of low refrigerant, don’t try to fix them on your own. Contact Fresh Air Heating & Cooling to have a specialist come out and perform maintenance on your HVAC system. Our service technicians can add the right amount of refrigerant, so your heat pump will be back to working efficiently in no time.
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