Coolant! It’s a word that we’re sure you see in many an HVAC blog. Today we want you to be honest with us. You’re amongst friends here—do you understand what coolant is and what it means for your system?

If you’re having problems with your air conditioner and you need fast AC repair in Colorado Springs, then we’re the team you should lean on. We say that we’re experts often, but coolant problems are where our expertise can really shine through. We want to help you figure out what’s going on with your system so you can act ASAP. Let’s chat below…

So… What’s Coolant?

Coolant is the backbone of your air conditioner’s cooling process. Coolant is what you’ll often here referred to as “refrigerant.”

Although it goes by a couple different aliases, its job is always the same—to allow your home’s air conditioning system to do the job of cooling. The process of coolant changing states of matter is what creates cooling in your AC system.

Like any other part of the AC process, it is possible for your air conditioner to run into issues. If you’re having trouble and losing refrigerant, you might notice the following…

“Do I Have Enough?”

These are the signs that you don’t have enough coolant.

Warm Air: When your air conditioner doesn’t have enough refrigerant to perform, it can’t absorb heat from your home’s air. If your AC system can’t absorb heat, it can’t transfer it outside either. This allows warm air to persist in your home and you might even notice warmer air coming out of your vents no matter what your thermostat setting is.
Your Energy Bills Have Increased: This summer hasn’t been a great one for your wallet. Your air conditioning bills have increased and you really can’t trace down the source of the issue. We’re here to tell you that it might be a refrigerant leak. A lack of refrigerant means that your air conditioner can’t perform well. It’s working much harder to cool and costing you more as a result.
Ice or Frost: A telltale sign of a refrigerant leak is ice on the coils. Have one of our professionals take a peek in to determine if this is happening.

A Word To the Wise About Refills

Something that we all far too often are HVAC teams promising to “refill” or “recharge” refrigerant. This isn’t a trap that you want to fall into, and we want to correct the narrative today.

The first thing that you need to know that coolant or refrigerant isn’t something that should ever be “used up.” The refrigerant and/or coolant operate on a closed loop system. If you’re ever “running out” and someone suggests a “recharge,” that would be the equivalent of putting a bandage over a deep open wound. The problem is going to persist because you did address the root of the issue.

Make sure that you don’t do anything less than repair when you run into this problem. Refills aren’t going to cut it! Save yourself time, money, and energy by investing in the right service the first time.

Contact Residential Heating and Air Conditioning for your home’s air conditioning services. We’ll help you “Feel the Difference.”