You probably know the refrigerant in your air conditioner is what cools your house. When something goes wrong with the refrigerant lines, your AC can't cool as well and it may stop working. Here's a look at three refrigerant problems and what an HVAC repair technician might need to do to get your home cool again.

1. A Leak In A Refrigerant Coil

The refrigerant in your air conditioner is supposed to be at a steady pressure all the time. If nothing goes wrong with your system, you never need to fill the refrigerant. A loss of refrigerant is a big problem that needs repairs. Simply filling the refrigerant isn't a solution.

Refrigerant is housed in copper coils that loop from the condenser to the air handler. The refrigerant changes from a gas to a liquid as it moves through the coils and then turns back to a gas. This process is what cools your house.

When refrigerant leaks out, your AC won't work as well. The first sign of low refrigerant might be that your house feels too hot, even though the AC is working. To fix this problem, the HVAC repair technician patches the hole in the refrigerant line if possible. If that's not possible, the technician might need to change the coils. Once the lines are no longer leaking, the refrigerant is filled and the problem should be solved.

2. The Refrigerant Lines Can't Cool Down

The coils located in the condenser are supposed to cool the refrigerant down with the help of the condenser fan and proper air circulation. If that doesn't happen, then your home won't be as cool as it usually is.

The repair technician may test the fan motor to see if it's malfunctioning or check the fan. These parts can be replaced if needed. The technician might also look for obstructed airflow as might happen if the coil fins are bent over.

It's also possible for the coils to get dirty, and that keeps the air from cooling down the refrigerant as well. In that case, cleaning the coils might be all your AC needs to have done.

3. The Evaporator Coils Can't Allow Heat Transfer

The refrigerant needs to be cooled down in the condenser because it picks up heat from the evaporator coils indoors. This is the heat that's pulled from your house. If the evaporator coils are coated in dust and grime, the debris acts like a blanket that keeps heat from transferring to the refrigerant. Cleaning the coils fixes this problem, and when both sets of coils are clean, the refrigerant cycle can work optimally and keep you nice and cool.

If you are currently having problems with your AC system, contact an HVAC repair service to find the underlying cause.