Why low refrigerant = Air conditioner blowing hot air
Have you ever thought about how your AC cools your home’s air?
Basically, an air conditioner works like a heat sponge; the inside unit absorbs heat from your air (making it cool) and then “squeezes” that heat outside via the outside unit (the one with the fan). The AC is able to absorb that heat using a chemical called refrigerant, a heat transfer fluid.
But when you’re low on refrigerant, your AC will struggle to absorb enough heat from your home’s air, meaning it can’t properly cool your home which causes your AC to blow lukewarm or hot air.
So, once Dennis discovered that Carolyn was low on refrigerant, here’s what he did.
The solution: Charge the system with refrigerant
Dennis brought this issue to Carolyn’s attention and went over several recommended options with her.
She decided to have the system charged with more refrigerant. Dennis charged the system with 2lbs. of R-410A refrigerant, which does not contribute to ozone depletion like older refrigerants do.
After Dennis charged the system, Carolyn noticed an immediate difference in the air coming out of her vents and was happy to get her air conditioner back to normal
Note: Keep in mind that the cost and time to fix a central air conditioner all depends on what’s wrong with it.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. If your AC is having issues, the first step is always to have a professional diagnose what’s wrong.
It’s similar how a doctor asks questions and diagnoses what’s wrong with you before recommending a course of treatment to remedy the problem.