The air conditioner needs proper air circulation to be able to make the coil warm. Some reasons may cause the air conditioner or popularly known as the AC to freeze up. To know if the AC has frozen, frost builds up on the copper in the system, and sometimes the situations may be worse such that a big block of ice is formed. It does not, however, mean that the AC is faulty, here are some of the reasons that may make the AC freeze.
- The refrigerant may be leaking – For the AC to work well in cooling the home, there are some points where the refrigerant passes. The points or tubes might burst and make the refrigerant leak leading to not only leaking but also exposure to the refrigerant, which is harmful. After the refrigerant leaks, there is no good airflow; thus, the AC freezes. AC repair will need to be done by the personnel who are adequately trained and experienced on how to handle them. Some of the problems associated with ACs are easy and cheap to fix.
- Having a low refrigerant – The low refrigerant may be caused by the leakage of incorrect charging of the conditioner when the installation was being done. The low refrigerant levels make the coil to be too cold, thus causing freezing. When the system is functioning correctly, the refrigerant is passed at lines at a specific temperature such that condensation forms on the outside of the line. When the refrigerant levels are too low, the AC cannot freeze the lines, making it not to work well.
- Insufficient airflow – Inadequate airflow is the leading reason that may make the AC freeze. If there is no enough air flowing, they will not be enough warm air that helps to prevent the freeze of the coil. To enable the free flow of air, it is essential to maintain the air filter clean by replacing them regularly. The air filters should be changed while the AC is turned off, and the manual should be followed to know when and how the filters should be changed.
- Dirty and clogged coils – Clogged coils once again block the proper free airflow in the system leading to condensation. The dirt layer on the top of the coils will prevent the absorption of water fast as usual. Less air flows to the evaporator coil for cooling while also a flow of humid air that is hot does not flow to the coil to prevent it from freezing. The coils should be cleaned at least once a month to ensure they do not get clogged to cause freezing.
- Cold summer nights – ACS can only operate on some set optimum temperature. If the temperatures go lower than the temperature thresholds, the AC can freeze. A programmable thermostat can be used such that the AC shuts down when the temperatures are too low.
What to do when the AC unit freezes
The AC repair is easy and straightforward; the first step is to turn the system off.
- Avoid cooling the AC because frost will be added.
- Turn the thermostat on the heat setting so that thawing can be speeded up.
- Watch that the pan in the evaporator does not overflow to avoid water damage in the AC.
