Do you understand the function of the refrigerant that flows through your air conditioner? You’ve very likely heard the term refrigerant, and you probably even know that it’s important, but it’s possible that you might not understand how important it is.
Without refrigerant, the cooling process would not be possible. This is the chemical substance that allows your air conditioner’s compressor to do its job of cooling down your home.
There’s a pretty common misconception about this substance, however. This myth is that refrigerant depletes, as gasoline does from a vehicle. In other words, people think of refrigerant as a fuel, when that’s not what it is. Your air conditioner is actually supplied with enough refrigerant upon manufacturing to last its entire service life, ideally. If your system is losing refrigerant, it means there is a leak.
Read on to learn why this is a problem and what to do about it.