Despite being machined to the highest specifications, the components of any heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system are vulnerable to wear and tear. Leaks are no exception, as eHow writer Alan Edwards elaborates.
“In January 2006 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned the manufacturing of air conditioning systems that couldn’t achieve a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) of 13. Until then the most common refrigerant used was R22. However, R22 cannot meet the 13 SEER standard. Many AC systems today use a refrigerant known as R-410A.
The refrigerants are very different not only in composition but also in the processes used to charge the system. The tools needed for charging a system with R-410A are different from those used for R22 charging.
… If a system is leaking it must be repaired before recharging.”
The importance of R410a Puron as an airconditioning refrigerant is not lost on Canadians as an evolution of R22 freon. In January, 2010, Environment Canada stated that no more R22 equipment would be imported from then on and R410 cannot be used as replacement coolant for HVAC units that rely on R22 because it is designed for newer high-pressure units. When your R410-specific system is losing efficiency from leakage, have experts at AC repair in Toronto like the team at Laird & Son Heating and Air Conditioning solve the problem for you.
Your contractor’s crew should have the leeway to look through every inch of the system for potential leaks. Edwards states that one way to do this is to inspect the refrigeration coils with the manufacturer specification sheet on hand and list down data on any pressure drops. A leak detection device is often used to mark the pressure drop spot.
The repair team must also measure the temperature of the air at the return duct using a thermometer wrapped in wet cloth and without it. Edwards says this is to determine the amount of load that affects the system pressure. The thermometer itself may be used to measure sub-cooling temperatures.
Your AC repair specialist may prepare a manifold gauge and refrigerant cylinder to pump in the fresh material once the pressure and its associated temperature, plus the sub-cooling levels, have been properly determined. The thermostatic expansion valve must be checked if it’s at optimal condition before the liquid and suction pressure valves are linked to the manifold and cylinder.
A fresh load of R410 refrigerant and sealed coils will work toward preserving the optimum efficiency of your HVAC system. Let specialists at air conditioner repair in Toronto like Laird & Son help you.
(Source: How to Check and Charge a R-410A Refrigeration System, eHow)