Central air conditioners cool the indoor air to desired temperatures. The coolants used by these devices should last throughout the lifespan of an air conditioner, though cases of failure due to existence of contaminants, wear and tear, and accidental damage can arise. In case any of these happens, then the central air conditioner needs charged after fixing other likely causes of the breakdown. However, running a diagnosis of the problem beforehand is crucial, as it may save you the cost of having to replace the coolant.

Check the thermostat
Checking thermostat is the first thing you should do each time you suspect that your air conditioner has lost its coolant charge. In some cases, you may only need to reset the units to activate the system’s electronic elements. To begin, turn on your air conditioner and set the thermostat to approximately 85 degrees. Wait for 30 minutes or so and then adjust the thermostat to about 60 degrees. Check whether the unit has gone up. When the house begins to cool, then it was just a reset. On the other hand, if the temperature reading has not gone up, then you will need to diagnose further the problem.

Examine the vents
When the vents blow warm rather than cold air after you reset or clean the thermostat unit, then your air conditioner coolant may be out of charge. To examine this likely inconsistency, hold your hand before the vents and feel for warm air. Allow the machine at least 15 minutes to see whether it was merely residual air. If the air is dry or warm, get the refrigerant charged by a technician. Additionally, check to see whether the fan is working.

Checkout for frost buildup
Air conditioner units use a coolant that is in gaseous form. The coolant freezes elements that are exposed to it. Leaks can be easily spotted when the frost builds up around connectors especially where the conditioner connects to the coolant tank. If you have already checked the thermostat, reset the unit and confirmed that warm air is still blowing, then it means that you have a leak. For proper functionality, get the refrigerant charged. Generally, frozen components indicate that the coolant may be escaping from the system instead of cooling the air.

Hire a professional
Get a heating and cooling professional to inspect air conditioner and to determine whether it needs its refrigerant charged. A good thing about hiring professionals is that they are skilled in checking thermostat and other essential components of the unit. They can also identify the root cause of the problem through a more competent inspection of the machine. Attempting to repair the air conditioner on your own can be catastrophic, since you could end up breaking something within the system. This may result to replacing the entire air conditioner unit. Hiring a company to repair the unit can save you the risk of spending a lot of money to purchase a new unit.