Have you ever wondered how your air conditioner keeps your home cool on even the muggiest summer days? It relies on a refrigerant called freon or R-22 to remove heat from the air, maintaining a comfortable temperature.

While there are lots of moving parts that make your air conditioner work, the refrigerant is arguably the most essential component. Technically, your air conditioner can run without refrigerant, but asking it to do so can damage your unit and cause you to need repairs.
 

You wouldn’t want to go without your air conditioner in the peak of a Philadelphia-area summer, but when it’s noisy, you may decide it’s better to sweat than to put up with all that racket. However, you shouldn’t ignore the noise – your loud air conditioner may be trying to tell you it’s close to breaking down.
 

What Is Your Air Conditioner Saying?

When your air conditioner is being noisy, pay attention to the sound you’re hearing and note those details so you can report them to your HVAC tech when you call for service.
 

An air conditioning or heating system does much more than simply cool or heat the air. They actually condition the air by removing dirt, dust, mold spores and pollens as the air is drawn through a filter. Your air conditioning system also lowers the humidity making the air much more comfortable at any temperature.

So running your air conditioning and heating system has great benefits. But it can account for up to 50% of the expense on your household budget.