You might be reading this and thinking, “why would we need to talk about refrigerant, it’s freezing outside!” And while that might be true in regards to AC refrigerant, heat pumps are still chugging away making sure homes are warm with the help of refrigerant.
Refrigerant is vital when your heat pump is heating your home, and if you’re suffering from a refrigerant leak, then you could see major problems in staying comfortable.
Heat pumps are great ways to keep homes warm. Especially when you’re dealing with heating your Grand Rapids home. Having the right amount of refrigerant in your heat pump is going to be one of the highest priorities. The less refrigerant, due to a leak or some other circumstance, the more trouble your system will have and the higher the likelihood of a system breakdown.
So, let’s figure out if you’re suffering from a refrigerant leak.
Signs of Leaking Lines
Your refrigerant exists in lines within the system of your heat pump. They usually run from an outdoor component to an indoor unit, or in the case of a ductless heat pump, they run directly to the air handler. There are many places for refrigerant to leak from, so it’s important to remember that you might not notice the leak from a sound or look. It could be happening outside during the dead of winter, which means you’ll need to rely on other methods to notice the leak.
Hissing and Bubbling
This is the obvious way for homeowners to detect a refrigerant leak. If you’re walking around outside, or through your home one day, and you notice that the refrigerant lines of your heat pump are hissing or bubbling, that’s clearly the sign that refrigerant is leaking out and it needs to be patched and the refrigerant levels need to be recharged.
Higher Energy Costs
Are your energy bills steadily increasing? No, you’re probably not just using more energy because of your own personal needs. A heat pump uses a large percentage of your energy at home, which means when there’s a slight increase in your bills, it could very well be from an inefficient heating system. Inefficiency can be caused by a leaking refrigerant line. Therefore, if you notice a rise in your bills, it could definitely be caused from a refrigerant leak that needs to be patched.
Poor Comfort
Trying to stay comfortable can be a chore in Grand Rapids. Unless temperatures are below zero, a heat pump should still be able to keep you comfortable and warm in your home at a relatively low cost. If your system is struggling to stay afloat as it’s barely able to keep things above 50 degrees sometimes, then you need help. While there could be many different things causing this dramatic decrease in ineffectiveness, refrigerant leaks can absolutely cause this to happen. The most important thing to remember as a homeowner, is that your heat pump requires professional help and there’s no real way around this.
Contact GRmetro Heating and Cooling Inc if you suspect you’re heat pump is suffering from a refrigerant leak.
