Preparing for Your Big Day

Posted on: 18 June 2019

When it comes to residential air conditioning problems, refrigerant coil leaks are one of the most common issues seen by HVAC professionals. The reason this part is prone to problems is that the coils are made of copper metal and susceptible to damage from corrosion. Once damaged, the coils slowly leak refrigerant out of their closed-loop system. When this happens, the system is no longer able to remove heat from the ambient air and cool it down.

To better troubleshoot problems with your HVAC system's refrigerant coils, here's more information:

Signs of Refrigerant Coil Leaks and Failure

When refrigerant coils start to leak, there are typically three different signs you will see:

1. The air conditioner struggles to keep your home as cool as it used to.

2. You hear a hissing sound coming from your outdoor air compressor unit.

3. Ice starts building up on the exterior of the coils when the system is running.

If your home's air conditioner seems to cool okay when it isn't excessively hot during the day or on cooler nights but never completely cools off the house on hotter days, then this is one of the first signs of a refrigerant leak.

When your home isn't cooling off, go outside when the air conditioning compressor is running. Wait for the system to turn off and then listen carefully to see if you hear a hissing sound coming from the coils. Since the sound will likely be faint, you will need to get down on your hands and knees and listen very closely.

While you are looking at the compressor, look closely at the copper coils. Do you see ice buildup on them? If so, this is a sure sign the coils have already been leaking out a significant amount of their refrigerant.

Repair Options for Leaking Air Conditioner Refrigeration Coils

If you or a professional HVAC technician have discovered leaking refrigeration coils in your home's air conditioner, then you have two different options for rectifying the situation:

1. Repair the leak

2. Replace the coils

If your air conditioning system only has one small pinhole leak in the coil that has been slowly leaking out refrigerant, then the hole can be patched using a specialized sealant. However, since one pinhole leak is frequently followed up by other leaks, it's often better to have the coils replaced.

Since both coil repairs and replacements should always be performed by an air conditioning repair services technician, this is the point in time when it's appropriate to call one out to your house for further assistance.