What Causes an Air Conditioner to Freeze Up? One of the worst moments as a homeowner is realizing your air conditioner isn’t working on a hot, unpleasant day. It’s even more confusing when you find out the unit has frozen over in the Indiana heat. There are many reasons why this happens and this guide provides a better answer to the common question: What causes an air conditioner to freeze up? One of the most common reasons why your air conditioner might freeze up is that it’s low on refrigerant. If this is the case, it is a fix that a technician can do easily. There might not be a good airflow going through to the air conditioner’s cold coil. Filters oftentimes need to be replaced or cleaned if this is the case. Another common problem that may arise is the air conditioning unit’s fan is not moving when it should. This is another easy fix that can be done by an HVAC professional. If you let the A/C run throughout the night when temperatures are lower, this too can cause a freeze in the unit.

Finally, if the coil does freeze up but the unit is still running and continues to run long after that, this will make the freeze build up and even ruin the air conditioner’s compressor. air handling units designThis is one of the last things you would want to do, as it is an expensive repair.3 ton ac unit size Knowing what causes an air conditioner to freeze up allows you to understand what’s going on and how to respond accordingly. ac unit is clickingAll HVAC technicians offer many services that help with everything mentioned above, ensuring your unit is running at its best. If you’re experiencing air conditioner freeze up, immediately contact Meyer’s for answers or to set up an appointment.How to Fix a Freezing Air Conditioner When you notice ice building up on your air conditioner, it's never a good sign.

Freezing occurs when condensed water isn't evaporated away from the cold coil inside the air conditioner. There are several reasons this could occur, so do some troubleshooting before you contact a technician or attempt to repair the problem. Let the Air Conditioner RestSwitch your air conditioner off or put it on fan mode to give the unit a rest and allow the coils to fully defrost. The bulb that senses the coil temperature normally turns off the compressor when coils drop below 36 degrees to prevent freezing. Sometimes when an AC unit is put on its highest setting, this feature is disabled and the coils can ice up. You may be able to avoid freezing by changing this setting. Look for leaking refrigerant dripping from your air conditioner. When there isn't enough refrigerant, the evaporator coil will not work properly and moisture will build up in the system. A professional will need to come to your home to recharge the unit and can also help determine where there is a leak.

Clear the Air Flow Check for obstructions like dirt on the unit or damage to the vents. Clean or change the filter, scrub the exterior and remove dust using a vacuum to remove dirt that could be restricting airflow. If the fan still isn't blowing enough air over the coils to keep them dry, the fan motor or capacitor might need to be repaired or replaced. Examine Other Important Components There are several other essential parts that could be causing an issue. Check your unit's liquid line for a clogged filter or strainer, which can cause premature expansion. If the unit has a thermal expansion valve, it may need to be readjusted. You might also want to readjust the evaporator pressure regulator. If the pressure is too low, moisture will be left in the system and could freeze. A stuck compressor contact could also be preventing your system from shutting off automatically, causing the unit to become overworked. Compare BTUs and Room Size Ask an HVAC expert or compare your square footage to the BTU output to determine if your unit is up to the task of cooling your home.

Your air conditioner may not be powerful enough to cool the space that you have, which means it's working constantly. Frost could be forming because the unit is overworked and extra moisture is continually forming. Learn more about AC units in the air conditioner buying guide Air Conditioning Water Leaks Leaking water from your AC unit can cause severe damage to your home rather quickly. Even a small leak can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars of damage in just a few hours. Fox Service Company has over 40 years experience fixing air conditioning water leaks and is here to serve as your first responders! We've found that at least 80% of the time the air conditioning leak could have been prevented entirely with routine maintenance inspections, like our Priority One Air Conditioning Maintenance Agreement. We've listed the most common sources of air conditioning leaks here: Top 5 Reasons Your AC Is Leaking Number one, top reason for A/C leaks is your drain line is clogged and the drain pan is overflowing.

Most of the time the drain line gets clogged with foreign objects and the water has nowhere else to go except back into the pan. The pan can only hold a certain amount of water, so once the pan gets filled it overflows. During regular preventive maintenance, the technician will blow out the drain line, by doing so they are clearing the drain line from any dirt that may be building up. Chemical preventatives may also be used to varying effect. Air conditioning units can sometimes leak water because the drain line is disconnected.Many times when the air conditioning unit is low on refrigerant it starts to freeze up when running. Once the unit shuts off the ice begins to melt, and water now drips onto the ceiling. If this happens a couple of times, the water can seep through the ceilings and it can become extremely expensive to repair those water damages. Air conditioning filters can play a big role in an air conditioning water leak. First, is that the dirty filter blocks the air from penetrating through the filter.