There are ways to recharge your LG window air conditioner yourself, but because a refrigerant leak usually indicates another problem, getting professional help is the best option.
Technically, you can recharge a leaking LG window air conditioner, but a better question to ask is whether you should.
Recharging your unit incorrectly can damage the unit as well as your health. Thus, it should only really be done by professionals.
Can you recharge a LG window air conditioner?
Window air conditioning units typically come as one, completely sealed system.
This means that you may have seen a few DIY videos and articles which claim that you technically can recharge your unit using a recharge kit, like this Fanovo R-134A refrigerant recharge one, which you have to install yourself.
But this is quite a complicated and potentially dangerous process, which is best left to the professionals.
To add to this, a window air conditioner that is working properly should never be leaking refrigerant. Hence, low refrigerant levels usually indicate a much more serious problem somewhere else.
If you do not find and fix this issue, then your unit will continue to leak refrigerant (which can be extremely harmful), even after you have recharged it.
Signs that your window air conditioner may be leaking refrigerant
There are many reasons why your window air conditioner may not be cooling your space as effectively and efficiently as it used to.
This is another reason why it is always advisable to have a professional take a look. But some of the signs that you may have a refrigerant leak include:
- Your air conditioner is not blowing cold air, or it is running longer cooling cycles
- Your electricity bills are much higher than usual
- Your coils are frozen, or the unit is dripping
Why it is not advisable to recharge your air conditioner yourself
It seems fairly easy to install a recharge kit yourself, but installing this kit incorrectly can damage your air conditioner even more if done incorrectly.
Simply put, your LG window air conditioner is meant to stay a sealed system and interfering with this can do more harm than good.
It is also entirely likely that you will have to call a professional once you have located (or if you have failed to locate) the source of your leak, as this also usually requires specialized knowledge and skills to fix.
The long-term effects of refrigerant leaks
When your air conditioner runs with low refrigerant levels for extended periods of time, this places a lot of strain on the components which will cause undue wear and tear.
Moreover, leaking refrigerant can be extremely harmful towards the environment and could even cause health problems like headaches, coughing and nausea in extreme cases.