A/C Blowing Hot Air? It May Need a Refrigerant Charge

Orlando summers can be unbearably humid, and an air conditioner that doesn’t cool your home properly can be a big headache. Keeping your air conditioning system running at maximum efficiency when it is blowing hot air may only mean getting a refrigerant charge.

An air conditioning system needs to have refrigerant gas flowing through the system. The right portion of this refrigerant is needed for the system to function properly. If you have had the system drained during repairs or if there is a leak in the system, you need to charge the system. This term simply means that the refrigerant gas needs to be refilled. There are several signs that you might need a refrigerant charge:

• Oily film on the system pipes
• Coils with ice
• Low system efficiency
• Hot or warm air blowing from the a/c
• Low temperatures from the condenser fan

A system of pressure gauges can be checked by a qualified technician to determine if you need a charge. When doing a refrigerant charge, the technician will use a cylinder or recharge kit on the designated valve. A small of amount of gas will be added as the compressor is running. For a few moments the system will adjust, and the technician will add more gas. The process repeats until the proper amount is in the system. Once the correct amount of gas is achieved, the air conditioner will be energy efficient and functioning well.

Rinaldi’s has been serving Central Florida’s air conditioning needs since 1969. Contact us for more information on getting a refrigerant charge or any of your air conditioning maintenance needs.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about refrigerant charge and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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