Condensing Unit Frozen Wont Turn Off - What you can expect to learn from Condensing Unit Frozen Wont Turn Off article: this article is an answer from a question taken from our email by a visitor to High Performance HVAC. We often use the questions we get in the email as a guide to write articles. The topic is a condensing unit that will not turn off and it is freezing up. From my experience in the field and using my HVAC knowledge I offer the readers a list that could cause this problem. We hope it helps you. What’s the possible problem with a frozen air conditioner condenser that won’t turn off except with the breaker?Condensing Unit Frozen Wont Turn OffThe Answer for frozen air conditioner condensing unit that won’t turn offRelated Link: Here is a similar but different problem with a frozen air conditioner.There are 3 possible problems with this unit and will probably need the attention of an HVAC Technician for repair. Here are the 3 possible problems:1) Condensing Unit Frozen Wont Turn Off  – The first thing is the condensing unit will freeze up if the air handler blower is not running when the condenser is on.

The condenser is pumping liquid refrigerant to the air handler evaporator coil where air is needed to blow across the coil so the cold refrigerant can absorb heat. uv lights for ac- do they workIf the refrigerant is not absorbing heat because the blower is not blowing air across the evaporator coil then the condenser will freeze. ac unit cover indoorThis often happens when everything is working fine but the filter is plugged up, duct work is collapsed, or the blower motor fails. best solar ac unitsIn this case, the blower is working fine but the condenser will not turn off so the thermostat is cycling the air handler blower on and off but the condenser is not turning off. It is possible you have a defective thermostat but I would check two other things first.

I would check the compressor contactor to see if it was stuck in the closed position. Under normal operation when the thermostat calls for cooling (heating in a heat pump) a 24-volt signal is sent to the compressor contactor inside the air conditioner condenser unit. This energizes and closes the contacts of the compressor contactor which is basically a switch controlled by the thermostat. This allows high voltage to pass to the compressor and the condenser fan motor. When the switch or compressor contactor closes and opens a slight arcing of electricity happens and over time this causes pitting of the contacts. It can also cause the contacts to stick so the even when the thermostat disengages the compressor contactor or stops sending the 24-volt signal the unit will continue to run because the contacts are stuck and will not release. The compressor contactor needs to be replaced and this should be done by a qualified HVAC technician. When the compressor contactor sticks like this the only way the condenser will turn off is if you turn the main power off to the condenser as you have been doing when you need air conditioning.

2) Condensing Unit Frozen Wont Turn Off  – The other possibility for your problem is the thermostat wires are bad somewhere. These would be the thermostat wires that go to the air conditioner condensing unit. Old thermostat or damaged thermostat wire will cause the condenser to run and not shut off. Old thermostat wire loses the insulation and the copper which the insulation protects touches and feeds continuous voltage to the compressor contactor. Same thing with a damaged thermostat wire. Leave the condenser on and turn the power off to the air handler to test this. This will kill the 24-volts which feeds the compressor contactor. If the condenser turns off then you have either a bad thermostat or the wire problem described here. New thermostat wire needs to be pulled from the thermostat to the condenser to fix this problem and I recommend you get a professional to do this job. Has some work been done lately around the house where someone was driving nails into the wall? If so then a nail could have pierced the wire and this is causing your problem.

3) The next thing it could be is a bad thermostat. If you have checked all the other things and nothing happens carefully disconnect the yellow wire from the Y terminal on the thermostat. If the unit shuts off then you have a defective thermostat and needs to be replaced.Related Link: Delve deeper into controls circuits and how control circuits work. Related Link: Here is a result of a similar problem with a frozen air conditioner that was not repaired and caused severe water damage.Condensing Unit Frozen Wont Turn Off - ConclusionWhichever problem you have it is probably best to call an HVAC contractor that specializes in service to repair this air conditioner problem. The work usually comes with a warranty and you will get the job done right by a professional who does this kind of work day in and day out. Another word of advice. Don’t keep running the condenser unit when its frozen or the evaporator coil is frozen. You cause irreparable harm to the compressor and that costs a lot more than replacing a compressor contactor, thermostat wire, or thermostat.

References can be found here.Condensing Unit Frozen Wont Turn Off6 common aircon problemsIt's difficult to determine what's most awful about winter— the constant cold feet and hands, the unpleasant dread of stepping out of the shower, or the horror of opening a heating bill after a month of leaving the thermostat turned up overnight. Since hibernating for three months isn't an option, the best way to cope is to make sure your living space stays as warm and toasty as possible without spending an arm and a leg or burning the joint down. You need to winterize that thing. First, fix your windows. It should go without saying that being warm during the winter and leaving your window unit air conditioner installed year-round are mutually exclusive things. It should also go without saying that before cold weather hits, you should make sure that your windows are closed completely. Just because these things should go without saying doesn't mean that everyone is some kind of astronaut genius who remembers things like the fact that their windows can open from the top and won't spend an entire winter huddled under four comforters like the garbage dump hoarder from Labyrinth.Next, cover your windows with some plastic.

I can't recommend 3M Window Insulator kits enough for cold weatherproofing; my mom always used them when I was a kid and they look a lot less junky than other windowcovering methods. But you don't need to stop there. Invest in some heavy curtains to further keep heat locked into your space, and leave the curtains open during the day, but closed at night, especially if the windows face East or South. This will not only give your neighbors the impression that you're secretly Soviet spies having nighttime meetings, but it will allow heat from the sun to get in, and keep heat from escaping when it's dark out.If your place uses forced air heat (so if your heat comes out of the wall via vent), make sure the vents are clean. Pet hair and air flotsam can get trapped in there, and trapped junk in your vent will reduce the amount of hot air that actually gets to your chilly limbs.Rickety old buildings are usually insulated about as much as Barbie's Dream House, which means that keeping heat in can be a nightmare.

Try rearranging so heavy furniture like bookshelves and couches are against exterior walls. Hanging or tacking a tapestry or thick blanket to an exterior wall can also help. You'll look a little crazy if you have people over, but at least you'll be warm. Close doors to chilly, less frequently used rooms. Make or buy a draft stopper to place at the bases of leaky doors and windows. Put a thick rug on the floor. Transform your space into a padded room ready to receive all that your Cabin Fever will bring! Once you've insulated your living space, try heating yourself rather than the entire environment. My landlords keep the radiator heat fizzing at about SURFACE OF THE SUN degrees as soon as the temperature dips below 30 or so, which has coddled me to the point where if I'm in an environment with a temperature that's much below "orchid hothouse," (like my parents' place in Wisconsin) I start shivering. Thick socks are a must. Hot water bottles look stupid but they work like a charm. Once, I came home to my apartment to find that the heat wasn't working and put a foil wrapped baked potato at the foot of my bed, which may have been a fire hazard, but it worked.