Summer is coming and HVAC and heating contractors should anticipate an influx of calls soon. Especially during the cooler seasons, homeowners may notice that the unit emits dripping sounds. It’s likely a frozen evaporator coil that reduces comfort levels in a home. What are the reasons for these things? The best way to know is to look at the air conditioning system and its cooling effects. Need Quick Repair Assistance? Schedule an appointment today and a technician will come in! Call us at 725-777-2698 for a meeting.
If you fear you’re experiencing a frozen air conditioner, continue reading to hear what causes it, what to do if you’re experiencing a frozen AC system, and how you can prevent or keep something like this from happening again.
There are two main factors that contribute to an air conditioner freezing over airflow and a dirty coil.
Air Conditioning Unit
Does the cooling system freeze down? Sometimes the ice will appear under your AC unit, especially in the summer. Sometimes it’s hard to see ice inside the building. Even with the hottest weather, it can be impossible to find ice during the summertime and it’s a common phenomenon. What is the best way to prevent freezing air conditioning?
As the warm air from your home is being pushed outside, a supply of cold air is pushed through your air ducts and supply vents to each of your rooms.
Evaporator Coil
To see why an AC unit may freeze, you should understand the basic operation. Everything started with evaporator coils. This important cooling system is loaded with extremely cold cooling. If these coils activate, the refrigeration system relies on circulating warm air to pass through them. It cools your air and keeps the coil at an optimal temperature for preventing freezing. Indoor coils remove heat from the air and transmit it using refrigerants to the outside coils releasing heat into the outside air. The system pulls heat from the air inside your home and transfers the excess heat inside.
What causes the AC unit to freeze up?
Its evaporator coil freezes inside the unit. This coil transmits evaporated hot air from the house to the outdoors. Usually, frozen evaporators can restrict air flow and cause problems. A homeowner neglecting their air filters may have blocked the airflow of the air because of clogged air filters. Closed vent systems can also impact airflow issues. The cold air is subsequently absorbed into the machine. Insufficient refrigeration can also cause evaporator coils to freeze due to inadequate refrigeration.
Can you pour hot water on a frozen AC?
The heating water that’s poured into the ducts will melt any ice that is trapped within the coil. Does this work? Nope. The excess temperature can ruin an existing coil or make it necessary to replace it. The ice in this unit can also be melted using cold water or runoff. The method should be done carefully and direct on coils to avoid a splash in other parts of the unit and to remove water from its surface. HVAC experts usually don’t recommend using these techniques for cleaning your coils.
Find & inspect evaporator coils
If the air conditioner has been too cold it may indicate the freezing. To confirm a temperature you need to navigate to the computer-programmed thermostat. You could also walk to your home supply vent to check air temperatures outside your home. If your air vent blows warm air to your house, this could indicate frozen evaporator coils. Before inspecting evaporator coils, deactivate your cooling system. The Evaporator Coils are components designed to absorb heat from your air.
Inspect the refrigeration supply regularly
Low refrigeration supplies can affect your cooling system. As the system has low pressure, the evaporator coils’ temperature drops below freezing. This causes condensation on icy surfaces in coils. Don’t delay in repairing an HVAC system. Call a professional refrigerant repair technician to repair moderate to severe refrigerant leaks. In some cases, ice in the air can lead to damage and often freeze air conditioning units causing sluggish cooling and condensation.
Inspect & replace dirty air filters
It is critical that the cooling equipment is kept hot so as not to form frozen vapors on the sleeves coil. When the incoming air supply can’t get into the clogged dirty air filter, it will freeze. One of the best ways to reduce freezing air conditioner unit replacements can be done every month. Fiberglass air filters are recommended twice weekly and premium pleated air filters are recommended twice per year.
Deactivate the Air Conditioner & Allow the Excess Ice to melt
The air conditioning unit is usually deactivated for several hours before it starts to freeze. Avoid activating the system until the moisture or ice has dissipated. If the compressor is not actuated too late, there may be significant damage. In severe conditions, it takes 4-6 days before it melts.
Take a Look At Your Blower Fan The fan in a central air conditioning system is engineered to distribute hot and humid air to the outdoors. if something in the air conditioner malfunctions, the whole system gets disrupted. If something prohibits the warm air from blowing over the coils, this causes the evaporator coil to allow the refrigerant to cool too much, causing it to fall below freezing and ice over.
