How To Insulate Your Refrigerant Lines

Commercial buildings with central air have a lot of interconnected components. As a result, small problem with one minor component can end up having a negative impact on many other components. One of the most central parts of an HVAC system is the refrigerant lines. The steady and consistent flow of refrigerant throughout the lines is vital to the efficiency of your HVAC. This article explains how you can add insulation to your refrigerant lines, and make them more efficient. It also discusses having professionals recharge your refrigerant.

Finding Refrigerant Lines

There are several refrigerant lines within a central HVAC system. Usually, you can find them in tandem, running next to each other. That is, there will be a cold and hot line. These refrigerant filled tubes are usually copper, but you can tell which is cold and which is hot if you look at the connections on the back of the condenser, furnace, or evaporator. Blue indicates the tube is cold, while red indicates the refrigerant inside should be hot. Don't worry; the line should never be so hot that it will burn you if you touch it.

Refrigerant lines usually run from the back of the condenser unit into the building, and directly to the evaporator coils, which are located inside the plenum on top of the furnace or air cabinet. Every single inch of the refrigerant line that you can see will benefit if it has better insulation. That is, the refrigerant traveling through the copper can lose its heat or cold very easily, depending on the outside temperature. So, it is very worthwhile to add insulation to the lines.

Foam Insulation Tubes

Foam insulation tubes can be easily put on top of refrigerant lines. You buy the foam according to the gauge of the refrigerant lines. Usually, you can easily cut the foam to the right length with the razor blade. Then, you put it over the tube, peel away the adhesive backing, and press the two edges together. Then, you put it over the tube, peel away the adhesive backing, and press the two edges together.

Having all of your refrigerant lines wrapped in insulation is going to make them more efficient. But, even if your refrigerant lines are insulated, you still need to have professionals check the levels and recharge your refrigerant every once in a while. With insulated lines, and regularly checked refrigerant levels, you can ensure that your system is more efficient.

For more information, contact a company like Associated Mechanical Services Co.