Recharging Air Conditioners – Straight from an HVAC Specialist The cooling season is ramping up quickly here in Madison. We’re looking at temperatures in the 90’s this weekend. As our customers in Madison are turning on their AC Units, they’re discovering problems they didn’t know existed. The most common question we’ve had is about recharging AC unit Freon. We wanted to address it and explain our thoughts on recharging and exactly when it makes sense or doesn’t. We all know that any air conditioner or furnace can fail at any time without warning. We live in a climate where we alternate hibernating and operating our mechanicals as we switch between heating and cooling seasons. Because we’ve come to depend on these units for comfort in our homes and businesses, we know all too well how that comfort can be compromised quickly when our mechanicals aren’t functioning properly. AC Maintenance and Repairs Many issues with air conditioners are a result of insufficient maintenance.

The easiest repair is one that’s avoided altogether by keeping up on regular maintenance check-ups. In fact, if you haven’t been consistently maintaining your unit and notice your air conditioner starting to slack, a maintenance check-up may be just what you need to get your air conditioner back up to speed.  Below are some ways you can diagnose air conditioning problems, descriptions of some common problems your air conditioning system may experience, and some special issues you should know about the refrigerant (Freon) in your system. Check fuse box or circuit breaker – First thing to do if your air conditioner is not functioning properly is to check the fuse box or circuit breaker that services the unit.  Air conditioner turns on and off frequently – The compressor and fan controls may be worn out. Unit turning on but not cooling – If your unit is turning on, but the air isn’t cooling efficiently, your refrigerant may be low.  You may also need to clean off the evaporator or condenser coils by brushing them off or vacuuming them.

In addition, the filter may need to be replaced. Insufficient Air Flow – Dirty air filters and/or closed or obstructed supply-air and return-air grilles may cause insufficient airflow through your system.air conditioning units window reviews Leaks – These are usually associated with low refrigerant or a clogged drain pipe. best window ac and heat unitClogs can be fixed by clearing out the clogged pipe within the evaporator coil pan. ac dc power supply theoryLeaks should always be handled by a professional HVAC Contractor. Refrigerant Leaks –  If your air conditioner is low on refrigerant, either it was undercharged at installation or it leaks. A trained AC technician should fix any leak, test the repair and then charge the system with the correct amount of refrigerant  Remember that the performance and efficiency of your air conditioner is greatest when the refrigerant charge exactly matches the manufacturer’s specification, and is neither undercharged nor overcharged.

Inadequate Maintenance –  If you allow filters and air conditioning coils to become dirty, the air conditioner will not work properly, and the compressor or fans are likely to fail prematurely. Electronic Controls and Sensors Failure –  The electronic controls and sensor that cause your air conditioner, fan and condenser to kick off and on properly are often the first components to go.  Fan and Condenser Failure – Fan and condenser failure, on the other hand, can add up to some pretty pricey repairs. Replacing burnt-out fan motors is usually worth the expense in order to get your air conditioner up and running again, though a failed condenser can be a different story. Special Note About Air Conditioner Refrigerant (Freon): Contrary to popular belief, air conditioners do not consume refrigerant (Freon) as a car consumes oil, so under ideal conditions it would never need changing or filling. Therefore, a low Freon level indicates a leak which should be repaired before adding more.

Problems with Freon leaks: Low Freon levels reduce efficiency of the air conditioner. The heart of the unit is the compressor, which is cooled by the refrigerant. Over time, low Freon levels can cause overheating and premature failure of the compressor, often requiring complete replacement of the compressor or the entire condensing unit. Always contact a HVAC professional when dealing with refrigerant (Freon). Clint Pharo is a local HVAC Contractor in Madison, WI. He and his team of HVAC professionals at Pharo Heating & Cooling cover a broad range of services in commercial buildings, new home construction, and residential homes and locally represent Bryant Heating and Cooling Products. Ben Lindberg is partner in a marketing and design house in Madison, WI called Lion Tree Group. CheckMe!® Analysis Precisely Checks for problems with heat pump or air conditioner refrigerant charge and air flow. Refrigerant charge is the amount or level of refrigerant in your heat pump or air conditioner.  

The air flow is the amount of air that is being blown by the ventilation fan, through the duct work in your house.  The more precisely an heat pump or air conditioner is diagnosed for these two potential problems, the better the indoor air quality and comfort level in the home, the more efficient and less expensive the heat pump or air conditioner is to operate, and the longer it will last with fewer repairs. Incorrect refrigerant charge is a common problem with residential air conditioning systems across the country.  And contrary to most consumers' expectations, frequently even newly installed air conditioning systems are incorrectly charged. Most Residential Heat pumps Or Air Conditioners Do Not Have The Correct Refrigerant Level Since refrigerant is not consumed by the heat pump or air conditioner and does not otherwise degrade, the problem of refrigerant charge in older units likely existed from the time of installation.  It may also have occurred subsequent to installation as refrigerant was added or lost during service, when some traditional methods of approximating the refrigerant charge might have been used.

Even New Heat pumps Or Air Conditioners May Be Charged Incorrectly New Heat pumps or air conditioners frequently have this problem because, when installing an heat pump or air conditioner, tubing must be run from the outside unit to the indoor unit.  Most Heat pumps or air conditioners come from the factory charged with enough refrigerant to accommodate twenty five feet of tubing.  If the length of required tubing is less than or more than twenty five feet the refrigerant charge level must be adjusted to compensate for the difference in length.  If the tubing length is less than twenty five feet, then refrigerant must be removed. If the tubing length is longer than twenty five feet, then refrigerant must be added. The Refrigerant Charge Problem Is Widespread In a recent study, for Arizona Public Service, heat pump or air conditioner systems were tested for their refrigerant level.  The study results are indicated in the graph below.  Only eighteen (18%) percent of all the units were properly charged (green bar).  

Seventy-eight (78%) percent of the units were under charged (yellow-red bars).  While four (4%) percent were over charged (red).  These results are consistent with previous industry research, from new home construction studies in California. Clearly, only a small percentage of Heat pumps or air conditioners are properly charged with refrigerant.  The cost is real.  As little as 10% undercharge will reduce the heat pump or air conditioner's capacity as much as 10%. Incorrect Air Flow Leaves Humidity, or Never Sufficiently Cools the Air Almost all Heat pumps or air conditioners are designed to have 400 cubic feet per minute of air flowing across the indoor coil of the heat pump or air conditioner unit, for every ton of cooling capacity.  When the air flow is more than the manufacturer's recommendation, then the humidity of the air will tend to be high.  If the air flow is less than manufacturer's recommendation, then the heat pump or air conditioner will not cool the air sufficiently.

Twelve different energy studies have been conducted on air flow in the past several years.  Each study found that on average seventy percent (70%) of all home Heat pumps or air conditioners have inadequate air flow.  The average home heat pump or air conditioner's air flow is twenty percent (20%) below the manufacturer's recommendation. CheckMe!® Analysis Precisely Checks for these Two Critical Heat pump or air conditioner Problems Prior to energy efficiency studies and the development of CheckMe!® software, precise computer analysis and calculations were not available to the infield service and installation technicians.  And more significantly, prior to these government and utility funded energy efficiency studies, less precise analysis was believed to be adequate. Obviously, any professionally conducted heat pump or air conditioner diagnosis is better than none, but CheckMe!® air conditioning diagnosis is currently the best, most precise, approach available for heat pump or air conditioner diagnosis and tune-up.