Air Conditioner Low on Refrigerant Does Not Always Require Freon Recharge

At SS&B Heating and Cooling, we get this call frequently. Most people think that when this happens the air conditioner needs to be recharged with Freon. If an air conditioner is installed properly, it should not need refrigerant to be added unless there is a leak. An air conditioner low on refrigerant will not do an adequate job of cooling a home, however, filling it up with freon alone is never a fix for an air conditioner unless it was not correctly charged when it was installed.

Some other common causes of an air conditioner not blowing cold air could include a dirty filter, a circuit breaker that is tripped, excessive heat entering the return air duct system, and mechanical malfunctions just to name a few.

If you are trying to avoid having an air conditioning service call the first thing to check would be the filter located inside the furnace or air handler as the blower from the heater is what blows the cold air through the duct system during air conditioning season. A dirty filter will restrict airflow and cause the unit to not blow cold air.

The next thing to check is to make sure that the indoor blower at the heating unit is on and that the air conditioner itself is on outside. If both are on check to make sure the condenser fan motor is rotating on the air conditioner. If the indoor blower at the heater or the air conditioner is not on you can check the circuit breaker. If it is tripped, reset it and see if the units come on.

The last item to check before calling for air conditioning service is to check for ice buildup on the refrigerant lines connecting to the condensing unit outside and the evaporator coil inside. If these are frozen a diagnostic cannot be performed on the air conditioner until it thaws. In this case, you would need to turn the thermostat from the cool position to the off position and the fan function on from the auto to the on position to allow the furnace fan to run and thaw the evaporator coil so a proper HVAC diagnostic can be performed.

Once you have checked these items it is time to call SS&B Heating and Cooling for air conditioner repair in Springfield Missouri. We have a 24 hour service department that is always ready to assist you with your air conditioning service near Springfield Missouri. We have been serving the greater Springfield Missouri area for over 50 years and we give a lifetime guarantee on our workmanship. The parts we install won't last forever but there is no time limit to how long we will stand behind our work if we make a mistake! Our HVAC service area also includes Nixa, Ozark, Republic, Willard, Rogersville, and Strafford, MO.

To schedule repair services, simply call us at 417-580-9905, or you can conveniently contact us online. We're here to assist you!