Does My Heat Pump in Suffolk, VA, Have a Refrigerant Leak?

The substance that makes it possible for your heat pump to heat and cool your home is refrigerant, a liquid that’s effective but also highly toxic. This makes it crucially important to know whether any refrigerant is leaking from the heat pump in your home in Suffolk, VA. Here are a few signs that you may indeed have a refrigerant leak on your hands:

Ether-Like Smell

Your nose is possibly the greatest tool you have for detecting refrigerant leaks. Refrigerant smells vaguely sweet and ether-like, and there’s nothing else that might come from your system that shares that odor. Hence, this particular sign is extremely telling.

Hissing and Gurgling Noises

Your ears are every bit as useful for detecting refrigerant leaks as your nose. If refrigerant starts to escape from holes in your heat pump’s refrigerant lines, you’ll hear a hissing noise. As air moves in to displace the gas, bubbles will form, and you may also hear gurgling.

Odd Behaviors

If your heat pump loses some of its refrigerant, it’ll do some unusual things. Its general performance will likely decline because your system needs refrigerant to perform heat transfer. It’ll also not regulate temperatures well. Consequently, your utility bills will rise.

Additionally, you may notice your heat pump short cycling. This is when the system turns on and off without completing a full heating or cooling cycle. Many things besides a lack of refrigerant may cause this behavior, and you need to provide your heat pump with professional maintenance every year to make sure it doesn’t happen.

If you do nothing when refrigerant leaks from your heat pump, you’ll put your household in significant danger and undermine your ability to stay comfortable. As soon as you notice the foregoing signs, take action. Call Atlantic Shores Heating and Cooling to ask about our HVAC services, including heat pump repairs and replacements.

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