How To Know If Aircon Needs Gas Top Up? Aircon is one of the important appliances in almost every household. Because it is a complex machine, it needs proper maintenance from experts from time to time. So, if your machine is not giving cool air, this could indicate that you need an aircon gas top-up.
It is not that your aircon needs frequent top-up of gas. If your cooling machine is taking a much longer time to cool your room, it means the unit might be dirty. Or, the machine needs a gas top-up. However, certain signs tell you when the gas is empty and you need to fill it up.
How can you whether your aircon needs a gas top-up?
When you do not top up your aircon with gas, it becomes less efficient. Moreover, it makes the aircon a discomfort appliance, especially in hot weather. If you do not take the necessary steps, the machine has to suffer in the long run. Here are some signs that indicate the need to refill the gas.
- It starts to blow hot air – If your aircon is throwing warm air, it is sure that the cooling unit is low on gas. This is the first common sign that your machine needs refilling. After regular usage for a few years, the gas tank can become almost empty. You can feel that the condition in a room with no aircon and a room with the machine on is the same.
- Formation of ice on the aircon – If the cooling unit is short on gas, you can see the formation of ice on the refrigerant lines. It is because of the low discharge of gas. So, whenever you notice frost anywhere on your aircon, it means that the evaporator coil has ice all over it. Low gas means low pressure. And, it will freeze the coil and form ice.
- Distribution of air becomes inconsistent – Whenever there is a shortage of aircon gas, the air distribution will not be consistent. You will feel that one corner of the room is very cold than the other corner. So, if you find that there are different cold zones in the same area, the unit needs refilling.
- The electricity bills are higher – Aircons that have almost no gas takes more time to cool the room. And, the unit runs continuously for hours. As a result, there is more electricity consumption. Therefore, less cooling and an increase in the utility bills indicate a low level of aircon gas.
- Cooling takes more time than normal – Without sufficient gas, your aircon cannot absorb heat from your room effectively. As such, the cooling unit will run more to cool the whole area. The normal time needed for the machine to cool the room increases. While it is running nonstop, it appears that the room is taking much time to cool.
- You can feel unnatural emissions – If your aircon gives off a strange sound, smell, or noise, it needs a gas top-up. Cooling units with low gas start to produce strange sounds because of the lack of enough pressure. You can always feel the hissing sound with drops of water falling from the sides. Under these circumstances, you might need an aircon gas top-up.
What is the process to top up the gas?
The process of filing up the aircon gas is a simple one and the experts can undertake the job well. Here are the steps that you get to see in the process.
- Technicians examine the cooling coil to know if the aircon needs a gas top up
- Next, they check the gas level
- If the gas level is low, they will fill up the tank
- After that, they will check the gas level with a meter
- Finally, the technicians will check if the unit is running smoothly
How To Know If Aircon Needs Gas Top Up? – Conclusion
It is wise to top up the aircon gas tank every 1 to 3 years. However, many people choose to top up their tanks every 6 months. However, it is not that everyone should refill their aircon gas tanks when it is about six months. The technician will check the pressure and they will give you the right solution.