Why does an air conditioner need to be recharged?

If you notice that your air conditioner is cooling the room poorly or has stopped altogether, the malfunction is likely related to an insufficient amount of refrigerant in the system. Freon is the refrigerant used in climate control equipment. 

As a rule, an air conditioner loses 10-15% of its refrigerant annually. This means that any device, even with optimal use and proper maintenance, needs to be recharged with refrigerant. In cases when air conditioner recharging is carried out late or in violation of existing standards, equipment breakdown and failure occurs. Therefore, recharging should be approached as attentively as possible. 

When an air conditioner is installed properly and to a high standard, refrigerant will not need to be recharged for three or more years. Nowadays on Guam, you don’t see quality installation very often. Big mistakes during installation are common. Almost all calls related to this type of malfunction are the result of a low quality connection between refrigerant lines and the outdoor and indoor units.

This problem is systemic and widespread. Often, specialists installing an air conditioner do not pay enough attention to the refrigerant line flare tube, which is one of the main factors in a high-quality installation. This is due to the low qualifications of specialists who are not certified by the EPA.

It’s a paradox, but this is often encouraged by company executives. The issue is that they are most interested in conducting early repairs or replacing non-functioning air conditioners  after their warranties have expired. As time passes, with less and less refrigerant remaining, the air conditioner starts operating poorly, with a heavier load on the compressor. 

This reduces its output, but increases its energy usage, and the user starts receiving higher and higher electricity bills. However, despite the higher price tag, the air conditioner continues operating poorly, and meantime, air quality worsens with each day. In order to prevent such a problem, you should first choose the company that will install and service the air conditioning system well. 

To determine the volume of the recharge, you must first determine how much refrigerant is inside the air conditioner. These numbers are indicated on the label on the outside of the unit, where manufacturers indicate the recommended amount of refrigerant for a one-time recharge.  

Recharging an air conditioner more than once per year is not recommended. If the annual leakage is more than 15% then the reason must be identified and repairs conducted. If the recharge is not performed as needed, the air conditioner’s compressor will start functioning poorly and soon after will stop functioning. In this case, it will need to be replaced, which means significant expenses which, in some case, may be as high as the cost of a new air conditioner. 

Choose AEL&L for the servicing of your air conditioner and you will receive exclusively high quality and professional service. Licensed specialists from our company will provide complete care for your equipment, including refrigerant recharge if necessary.