Many different varieties of refrigerants are used in your AC, although a few air conditioner refrigerants that is typically used is either Freon coolant or R22 based on the age of the unit.
In the latest versions of AC, the R410-A coolant is used, which is considered to be a little safer. Irrespective of the coolant in your AC system, it will be a CFC which is Chlorofluorocarbon. CFCs are also classified as regulated chemicals; hence they must be very carefully disposed of.
While considering the operation of your AC unit, it will not use any coolant which means that in case the coolant level ever drops and then the unit will need recharging, as there was a leak in your equipment.
Many of you must have faced conditions where your aircon is leaking water and quite a few of you must have just ignored the leaks and did not stop using your AC unit. But that can be quite hazardous for your AC unit as well as the environment too.
Some of the dangers that you may face due to your AC leaking can be as follows:
Health hazards
If ever the coolant leaks from your AC unit, soon it will evaporate and become a gas that will be quite hazardous to the people around to breathe.
There can be problems like:
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Asphyxiation
Any contact with CFCs will cause cracking, dryness, and irritation, whenever you come in contact with it. You may also experience elevated heart rate, lack of coordination, and dizziness after inhaling CFC for a short period.
Damage your AC
Besides health and environmental problems, the leaking can put excessive pressure on its compressor unit, which will cause irreversible damage to your AC equipment.
Although your AC can be repaired, however, the price to fix the problem will be extremely high and you will regret why you did not notice the leaking early. Besides that, your electricity bill will also increase heavily.
Soil penetration
Also, various researches have shown that CFCs may not gel very well with the soil. They can penetrate very deep into the soil that can also pollute the underground sources of water.
If CFCs will get mixed with the groundwater, then the danger will get further multiplied as underground water is also consumed by animals and plants as well.
As per industry guidelines, the use of your AC system must be stopped the moment you notice any leak in it. Then you must contact any nearby professional expert who can totally seal the leakage source as quickly as possible.
Remember, it is essential not only for your own health and the equipment’s health but also for the health of the environment. Also, making any attempt to repair the leak in a DIY way could result in a much more significant hazard as compared to the CFC leak and could pose more problems to you and also your family.
On Aircon Servicing Company’s Twitter account, you will find many tweets associated with the danger of AC leaking.