With the approach of summer and warmer temperatures, your HVAC system is going to take on extra workload to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures. Obviously, the longer you run your HVAC system, the higher your electric bill will be. But what are the other effects this hot weather will have on your air conditioning and your refrigerants? The fact that an air conditioner runs more frequently during hot weather means that the system sustains a higher level of wear and tear. Regular maintenance helps alleviate this problem—a spring maintenance visit will check on any issues that may have cropped up over the winter season.
However, high heat puts another stress on an HVAC unit: it makes it more difficult for it to move heat from inside the building to the outside. An HVAC unit is a heat exchanger, absorbing thermal energy from the interior of a building and then releasing it to the outside. When the outside temperature is extremely high, it makes it harder to eject that heat. Let’s think back to our high school science classes: heat moves toward areas of lower heat. Adding to this strain is all the extra heat making its way into the building at the same time.
Let’s break down how your HVAC and refrigerants actually work:
First, we have to understand how a cooling system works. Any cooling system is simply a mechanism that powers a cooling device—from refrigerators to air conditioners. A cooling system involves a refrigeration cycle. The five main components of a refrigeration cycle include the following: fluid refrigerant (most commonly R-22), a compressor, condenser coils, evaporator coils, and an expansion device.
The refrigerant is the lifeblood of a cooling system. It flows throughout the device and undergoes phase transitions so it can move freely inside the system. Refrigerant passes through the compressor and coils to allow the system to produce cool air.
The compressor controls the flow of the refrigerant—it controls how much refrigerant is release and the speed at which is travels, depending on your HVAC or refrigeration settings. The compressor increases the pressure of the refrigerant and pushes it toward the condenser coils located on the outside of the cooling system. When the hot vapor refrigerant comes into contact with the cooler air from outside, the refrigerant condenses and changes back into a liquid. The cold refrigerant then flows toward the evaporator coils inside the cooling system.
This cold refrigerant absorbs heat energy from the ambient air inside the building, and the result is cooler air. Finally, the refrigerant, having absorbed enough heat, evaporates back into a gas. It flows back toward the compressor, and the entire cycle begins anew.
What does this mean?
The refrigerant is the main player in the evaporation and condensation processes integral to the cooling system. Without the refrigerant, the entire process would not be possible. So, what happens when your refrigerant can’t transmit heat back into the outside air? It may be because the outside temperatures are so high that the heat is near equal or the refrigerant itself is dirty, old, or contaminated. The result is that your HVAC system won’t be nearly as efficient as it would be. Every part of the cooling system will have to work harder to deal with the stresses of higher ambient temperatures. At the very least, your refrigerant is going to degrade quickly if your cooling system continues to be stressed. Thankfully, there’s a relatively easy fix: our Buy Back Program.
When you sign up for the Buy Back Program, you’ll have three options available to you. First, we can give you good-as-new refrigerants in return for your used, contaminated, or burnt refrigerants. Second, we can buy your old or used refrigerants at very competitive rates. And last, but not least, we can exchange your used refrigerants for EPA-compliant and environmentally safe types of refrigerants. In addition to the state-of-the-art technology we use to minimize leaks and toxic contamination, after completing all recovery procedures our team will inspect the surrounding area for any leakage or unwanted waste in order to ensure that your workplace is safe.
If you want to learn more about our Buy Back Program, simply call us at 844-PURECFC (787-3232). You can also opt to use our online contact form. We at Refrigerant Services LLC are fully certified to handle and recycle your old refrigerants so you can be sure that you’re getting the best quality service and safety for your employees.
