What is Freon and how does it work?

What is Freon You home’s heating and cooling unit (HVAC) is a complex system that goes largely unnoticed until a problem occurs. It’s important to keep your HVAC maintained on an bi-annual basis to catch problems before they happen. It also helps to have a basic knowledge of how your HVAC system works so you know what you’re paying for.

How Cooling Your Home Works

Your home’s HVAC system works by pulling heat and humidity out of your indoor air and releasing it into the outdoors. Indoor air is cooled by coming into contact with a cold surface inside your HVAC unit and the cooled air is pushed out through your home’s air vents. The entire process depends on a special liquid  that is pumped through your HVAC unit and carries the higher or lower temperatures where you need them.

What is Freon?

Freon is actually a specific brand name, but when people say the word “Freon” they are usually referring to the fluorocarbon refrigerants used in your home’s HVAC. It is a mixture of different chemical gases that easily become liquid when put under high pressure. Your air conditioning compressor does this job, continually bringing about a phase change in the coolant. The cooled, compressed liquid is pushed through the evaporator coils of the unit where it absorbs heat as it evaporates back into a liquid. The cooler air, now free of heat and moisture, is then pushed out into your home by a blower.

Is Freon Safe?

The chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in Freon are harmful to the environment and helps contribute to the depletion of the earth’s ozone layer. Freon is being phased out in favor of different chemicals that are free of CFCs, making them more environmentally friendly.

As with any dangerous chemical, it is important that you allow expert technicians to safely handle Freon in order to minimize their harmful effects. Freon can be safely removed from an HVAC system and stored so it isn’t released into the environment.

I’m Low on Freon or coolant- What Does That Mean?

If an HVAC technician tells you that you are low on Freon, it means that you don’t have enough refrigerant in your system to efficiently cool down your home due to a leak. Your technician can solve the problem by simply adding more Freon into your HVAC system.

The gases contained in Freon run through a closed loop within your unit, where it is used over and over again to cool down the air. However, a leak within your system means that you are losing these gases to the outside environment, which causes your cooling system to work far less efficiently or even not at all. An expert technician can determine the places within your system where the leak is happening and either be able to fix it or replace the faulty parts entirely.

Contact Hammock’s For Your Heating and Cooling Needs

We would be happy to answer any questions you have about Freon or anything else regarding your home’s HVAC. Our family owned company has served the greater Atlanta metro area for over three generations. We have the knowledge and expertise to assist you with your heating and cooling needs.

Hammock’s AC is proud to serve the local communities of Dallas, Waleska, Canton, Ball Ground, Euharlee, Taylorsville and Aragon. Call or click over to our contact page today!