Air Conditioner Iced Over? Here’s What You Need to Do
When your air conditioner is iced over, it could be a problem. Whether it is caused by blocked vents or low coolant, you want to get that fixed as fast as you can. Read on to learn more about the causes and what you need to do in order to fix your air conditioner!
Weak or Reduced Airflow
Weak or reduced airflow to the unit can cause the evaporator coil to freeze up. The A-shaped coils inside the unit have the refrigerant flowing through them. The unit’s blower pulls the air from your home over the coils to cool it.
When there isn’t any air flowing over the cold coil, it starts to frost over because there’s no heat to absorb. When that happens, the air isn’t flowing over the coils as easily. This reduces airflow to your home.
Low on Refrigerant
The most common cause of a frozen coil is low refrigerant. When low on refrigerant, the pressure drops causing the coil’s temperature to drop below normal temperatures. When the air hits the coil, all the humidity from the air collects on the coil and freezes.
Your unit could be low on refrigerant because of a leak. When you call your technician, there are two scenarios that could play out. One is they find the leak and quickly patch it.
If they can’t find or fix the leak, then the coils need to be replaced. Replacing the coils in your unit is expensive. If your unit is more than fifteen years old, it would be better to think about replacing the whole AC unit instead of just the coils.
What You Need to Do
There are several steps you should do as soon as possible to rule out some common issues that could potentially block airflow into your unit. First, turn off your AC and give it time to defrost. This may take several hours.
While letting it defrost, you should check your air filter to see if it is dirty. Then go and open all the supply vents in your home. Closing them in rarely used rooms isn’t saving you money, and could be causing the ice on the AC in the first place.
Last, make sure the return vents aren’t blocked by furniture or drapes. If your filter is not dirty and there were no problems with the vents, then you need to call a professional AC technician for help. J & M Smith Heating & Air offers many services to help fix or replace your AC unit.
Is Your Air Conditioner Iced Over?
When your air conditioner is iced over, it could be low on refrigerant or suffer from weak airflow. When you notice ice on your air conditioner or ice on your air conditioner pipes, it’s time to call J & M Smith Heating & Air for an appointment to take care of the ice on your AC unit!
