WHY IS MY CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONER MAKING A HISSING BUBBLING NOISE

If you hear a hissing or bubbling noise around your inside or outside AC, that likely means your central air conditioner has a refrigerant leak.

Refrigerant (what most homeowners call Freon, the DuPont brand name of refrigerant) is necessary for your central air conditioner to cool your home.

So, you may have already noticed that your home isn't being cooled properly.

So, what happens now?

We'll explain what your options are.

Add, Repair, or Replace

If you have a refrigerant leak, you might wonder, "Can I just add more refrigerant?"

Well, you can. But if you have an older system, you probably have R-22 refrigerant, which is expensive and is being phased out by the government.

And if you're hearing a hissing noise, chances are the leak is significant. So, you don't want to frequently pay for those pricey refrigerant charges.

Also, when you're low on refrigerant you're going to have all sorts of nasty problems, including:

• High-energy bills-Your air conditioner will struggle to cool your home and run constantly, skyrocketing your monthly summer bills.
• Home water damage-Low refrigerant decreases pressure in the evaporator coil in the inside, decreasing the temperature to below freezing and causing it to frost over. When it melts the water may overwhelm the drain pan and overflow into your home.
• Damaged compressor-Continuing to work your AC with a frozen evaporator can damage the compressor in the outside unit. This is a pricy part you don't want to replace!

So, adding refrigerant when you have an extreme leak can be a costly option in several ways.

What about repairing the leak?

Depending on where the leak is and the size of it, repairing could be costly, as well. And it may not be worth it if you have an older air conditioning unit (10-15 years old).

See if you should repair or replace your central air conditioner.

If you want to replace your AC system, then you should know what to look for in a new central air conditioning system.

Are you in metro Atlanta and need professional AC help?

If you're hearing a hissing or bubbling noise and want to repair the leak, then the faster you call for help, the better.

Ragsdale has been serving Atlanta, Dallas, Powder Springs, Acworth, Douglasville, Rockmart, Lawrenceville, Loganville and the metro Atlanta area for over 25 years.