The consequences of an incorrect air conditioner recharge

All conditioners must be regularly recharged with refrigerant. This is necessary to ensure the compressor works properly and maximum quality room cooling. The recharging process is a standard procedure conducted during air conditioner service.

If you have an inverter air conditioner and have already had your system recharged, there is a 90% chance that a mistake occurred during service. This means your air conditioner is working incorrectly, and the negative consequences of this mistake will become apparent sooner or later. 

The reason for this is that, in our day and age, the vast majority of companies make a typical mistake when recharging the air conditioner with refrigerant. We discussed this in our last publication. In short, the point was this: contractors recharge the air conditioner ‘by eye’ and misjudge the amount of refrigerant needed, while the amount of refrigerant an inverter model requires is indicated. 

What happens if the technician made a mistake with the amount of refrigerant? First of all, the load on the compressor increases. Operating with an excessive load will eventually cause it to break down completely. In addition, the indoor unit coil’s acceptable working temperature limits will not be maintained. 

Another important aspect relates to the sharp increase in energy usage. Energy efficiency (Cooling Efficiency Rating — SEER) decreases sharply, and the user receives higher than usual electricity bills. This can increase your energy costs by as much as 30%! In just a few months, the amount you accrue can be quite hefty.

Finally, when the compressor is working incorrectly, air treatment indicators deteriorate. Air cooling quality leaves much to be desired, as it  doesn’t correspond to the air conditioning model’s technical capabilities, and the microclimate becomes less comfortable. Users start noticing their air conditioner is not operating as well. 

The effects are clear: after a few years, the air conditioner will have to be replaced ahead of schedule, and during that time, the additional money you spend due to increased load will be comparable with the cost of buying a new air conditioner. 

Changing your attitude toward air conditioner service will help you avoid these consequences. However, under no circumstances should you do it yourself if you do not have the necessary training and certification. It is better to contact specialized technicians, but to first ask them which methodology they use for refrigerant recharging. 

This is a real-life example that AEL&L dealt with in 2019. Our technicians were conducting a full recharge of two inverter air conditioners and eliminating the cause of refrigerant leakage after a low-quality installation and regular recharging had been done “by eye.”  At our request, the customer provided us with his electricity bill for the following month. The difference in the amount he paid before and after was obvious and clearly demonstrated to the customer how much money he could have saved and used for other things. 

Conduct service and repair only with professionals, and you won’t waste money on power or replacing your air conditioner prematurely.