Is My Heat Pump in Lincoln, CA, Low on Refrigerant?

This fall, whether you want your heat pump to cool or heat your home in Lincoln, CA, it’ll need refrigerant to perform its essential functions. That’s only one reason among many why it’s important for you to know if your system has lost any of its refrigerant. Here are a few significant signs that your heat pump has a refrigerant leak:

A Strange, Sweet Smell

Refrigerant has an odd, sweet smell that resembles ether. Since nothing else in your heat pump has this same smell, it’s a clear sign your system has lost refrigerant.

Hissing and Gurgling Noises

If refrigerant leaks out of your system through one of its lines, you’ll probably hear a hissing sound. This is because such a leak would probably occur when the refrigerant is in gaseous form, and gas will hiss as it flows through a hole. Gurgling noises will likely also appear as air bubbles form in the refrigerant lines.

Frozen Evaporator Coils

The evaporator coils are where your heat pump absorbs heat from the surrounding air before moving it to another location. Refrigerant must be present in the coils to carry out that absorption; if not, the temperature in the immediate area will fall. As a result, any condensation in the area will freeze, causing ice to form.

However, note that this is only one of the many bizarre behaviors and events you may notice around your heat pump if it suffers a refrigerant leak. There are many others, including short cycling, water leaks and an overall decline in performance, though these events may all have other causes. Since HVAC service technicians can spot the underlying reasons for all such things during professional maintenance, scheduling it at least once a year is critical.

If the heat pump in your home in Lincoln, CA, is low on refrigerant, get help immediately. Call us at Jaguar Heating & Air to schedule heat pump services.

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