Do I Need To Recharge My HVAC System?
When the hot summer months come around, you need an HVAC system to keep your family comfortable and happy. When the cold winter hits, having a heat pump can make all the difference in keeping your family and home safe. But, your HVAC system will only function as it should when you take care of it.
What Does Recharging My HVAC System Mean?
If you have a centralized cooling system or a heat pump, then your system uses refrigerant. This substance helps to transport heat from one location to another. In the summertime, the refrigerant moves the heat inside your home to the outdoors. With a heat pump, your system moves heat from the outdoors to inside your home during the long winter months. Unfortunately, the copper piping that houses your refrigerant may develop small pinhole leaks. These leaks allow some of the refrigerant to escape. This will reduce the ability of your HVAC system to function as it should. When a technician recharges your system, it reintroduces more refrigerant into your system. With proper refrigerant levels from the recharge, your HVAC system will work again.
How Often Does My HVAC System Need A Recharge?
Centralized air conditioning system and heat pump will need a recharge some time. Knowing when your system needs a recharge is often pretty easy. You should look for the key signs that it’s running low on refrigerant. The first main sign is that your system is blowing warm air. This means that your cooling system is still working. It doesn’t have enough refrigerant to capture the warm air. Another key sign that your system is lacking refrigerant is when ice or frost builds up on your unit. This is often the result of a bigger refrigerant leak that an HVAC professional should fix.
Recharging Vs. Replacing Your HVAC System
While getting a recharge is pretty simple to do, you always want to think if you should replace your unit or not. You’ll want to replace your unit if it’s over 15 years old. Most units will last between 10 to 20 years. It only makes sense to replace the unit when it’s near the end of its lifespan. Another time you may want to replace your system is when the cost to recharge equals the cost of a new system. You should only recharge your system when it’s only a fraction of the cost of the entire system. Additionally, if you’re finding that you need constant repairs on your system, it may be time to upgrade to a new one.
Call Us Today
If you need to get a refrigerant recharge or are looking to replace your HVAC system, then it’s time to give us a call. Let our HVAC professionals assist you with all your home cooling and heating needs.
