Ice on My Air Conditioner? Why?
Nearly everyone who owns an air conditioning system has experienced a freeze up. A freeze up is when a thin film of ice forms on the outer part of your unit. This experience, while irritating, is not the end of the world. The AiRCO Mechanical team has plenty of familiarity with frozen air conditioners (ACs). We’ll help you remedy the situation and prevent it from happening in the future. With locations in San Antonio and Round Rock, TX, we can reach you faster than ever.
To help you troubleshoot, we complied a list of common reasons a unit becomes frozen:
1. Restricted Airflow
If there’s something in your air conditioner that’s blocking the airflow, the system’s evaporator coil is likely to freeze. There are a few variables that can render your unit’s circulation inefficient. A problem that our team often identifies is a dirty air filter. If you leave your unit on 24/7, we strongly suggest replacing or cleaning your air filter monthly. Additional causes can be blocked vents or ducts, a malfunctioning fan, and/or dirty evaporator coils. We recommend having your evaporator coils cleaned seasonally to ensure proper airflow and healthy indoor air quality (IAQ).
2. Low Refrigerant Liquid
If the refrigerant in your unit is low or empty, the culprit is usually a leak. When there’s little or no refrigerant, this allows for moisture in the air to build up and turn to ice on the coil. In this case, you should have your unit repaired immediately. A trusted technician from AiRCO Mechanical will perform a repair. This will include identifying and stopping the leak, and normalizing the refrigerant levels.
Temperature Outside the Home
Air conditioners sometimes freeze because of outdoor-temperature drops, often occurring at night. Most units can’t function properly if the temperature outside is under 60 degrees. Cold air going into the unit can lower pressure inside the system and cause it to freeze.
If you’re concerned about a freeze up damaging your HVAC unit, call us today at (512) 537-1234. Or, for your added convenience, you can request service online.