Your home can quickly become uncomfortably warm if ice forms on the cooling coil and your A/C freezes up on a hot summer day. To get the A/C working properly again, you’ll need to shut down the system, switch the fan setting to “on,” and endure the heat until everything defrosts. Having this happen occasionally is an inconvenience, but repeated episodes of coil icing can put added strain on the compressor that eventually causes a breakdown or failure. Insufficient system airflow is a common underlying cause of icing, and there are steps you can take to prevent this and avoid a frozen air conditioner.
- Don’t let the air filter get dirty — As dirt accumulates on the filter, airflow over the evaporator coil declines and liquid condensate can start to form into ice on the coil. You can stop this from happening by checking the air filter every month and replacing it promptly at the first sign of visible debris.
- Maintain good airflow at the registers — Balanced airflow through the duct system is needed to avoid coil icing, so make sure that the supply registers stay open in each room and periodically check that nothing is obstructing the return vents.
- Schedule annual professional A/C service — Having a certified technician inspect and clean the blower unit and both the evaporator and condenser coils is essential to sustain proper heat transfer and system airflow so a frozen A/C is less likely to occur.
A drop in the airflow rate across the coil is just one of the possible causes of icing. If you’ve kept up with preventive measures and your A/C still freezes up, it’s wise to have an HVAC pro inspect the entire system to find and fix what’s causing the problem. Some of the serious issues that can cause a frozen A/C include a refrigerant leak somewhere in the lines or coils, a mid-season buildup of debris on the evaporator, or a malfunctioning blower fan or thermostat.
For an expert diagnosis and solution for a frozen air conditioner, contact the Lorain home comfort pros at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning today.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about frozen A/Cs and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area