<\/span><\/h2>\nA refrigerant is the working fluid that transports heat inside a heat pump. It evaporates, compresses, condenses and expands in a continuous closed cycle. A correctly sealed heat pump circulates the refrigerant rather than consuming it.<\/p>\n
Refrigerant leakage<\/strong> occurs when some of this working fluid escapes through an unintended opening. The opening may be microscopic, intermittent or clearly visible as physical damage. Even a small leak can gradually reduce the refrigerant charge over months or years.<\/p>\nRefrigerant leak, refrigerant loss and low charge<\/strong><\/p>\nThese terms describe related but different conditions:<\/p>\n
\n- Refrigerant leak:<\/strong> The physical defect that allows refrigerant to escape.<\/li>\n
- Refrigerant loss:<\/strong> The amount of refrigerant that has left the system.<\/li>\n
- Low refrigerant charge:<\/strong> The operating condition created when too little refrigerant remains.<\/li>\n
- Incorrect initial charge:<\/strong> Too little or too much refrigerant added during commissioning.<\/li>\n
- Service loss:<\/strong> Refrigerant lost during incorrect maintenance or repair work.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
A heat pump with low refrigerant charge does not automatically prove that an active leak exists. The system may have been charged incorrectly during installation. A qualified technician must identify the actual cause before adding refrigerant.<\/p>\n
What is not necessarily a refrigerant leak?<\/strong><\/p>\nSeveral normal or unrelated conditions can look like leakage:<\/p>\n