Summer is right around the corner which means air conditioning and heating contractors can expect an influx of service calls in the near future. Especially during the warmer months, homeowners might notice a dripping sound coming from their unit. The cause may be a frozen evaporator coil which can drastically reduce comfort levels when homeowners need them most. So, why does this happen? To find out, we first need to explore how an air conditioning unit cools a home. The Joule-Thomson effect is a principle in thermodynamics that states that if everything is kept constant, as gas expands and the pressure decreases, the temperature will also decrease. Similarly, if a gas is compressed, the temperature will go up. To explain further, what we perceive as temperature is actually a measurement of energy in molecules. Slow moving molecules feel cold while fast moving molecules feel warm. This same process goes on inside an air conditioning unit. The evaporator coil houses refrigerant which expands inside of it.

In turn, this causes the coil to cool. The unit then blows the unconditioned home air over the cooled coil. The refrigerant then absorbs the heat from the indoor air which is transferred outside the home. Why do Air Conditioners Freeze? Technically, it's the evaporator coil that freezes inside the unit. This coil transfers/evaporates hot air from inside the home and sends it outside. One reason for a frozen evaporator coil is airflow restriction. Homeowners that neglect to change dirty air filters can experience air flow blockage due to clogged filtration. Closing off supply and/or return vents can cause issues with air flow as well. In turn, the cold air accumulates within the unit. Similarly, insufficient refrigerant or a restriction in the refrigeration system can cause a frozen evaporator coil. Inside the ac unit, refrigerant begins as a liquid, converts into a gas, and then back into a liquid, however the refrigerant level will remain the same. A leak or restriction in the refrigerant line is the likely cause for low refrigerant levels.

Another issue that has not been discussed is attempting to cool your home too drastically. If your system is icing up when your thermostat is set below 70, you may be able to solve the problem by simply raising the temperature slightly. A frozen evaporator coil cannot properly transfer heat outside of a home. capacitor in ac circuitCondensation forms and essentially, the coil cools itself to the point of freezing.air handling unit functional testing Solutions to a Frozen AChow much does it cost to run a portable ac unit Begin by turning off the unit completely at the thermostat. Do not attempt to thaw the unit by turning the temperature up on the thermostat. Make sure the air conditioning unit is completely turned off.

Inspect the existing air filters and replace them if needed. Also, make sure all registers are unblocked by furniture, drapes, etc. If there is a refrigerant leak, call a professional service contractor. Schedule a service call with a NATE-certified technician to inspect your unit for damage and leaks. The culprit could be one major issue or a combination of small things. Give us a call to inspect your unit before the summer rush starts. Call us at (909) 792-2222 or schedule a service appointment online.The requested URL /vbb/showthread.php?1068621-Brand-new-central-AC-freezing-canNOT-find-cause was not found on this server.Just like you, your HVAC system needs to breathe—but that can be hard in a city sandwiched between I-80 and Highway 12, two of the busiest roadways in the region. Fairfield summers mean an increase in both temperatures traffic. Combined with low air movement, these added stresses to the environment mean Fairfield , making it a sometimes unpleasant time of year to be outside, despite everyone pitching in on “Spare the Air” days.

Our variable air quality outside makes it that much more important to have a working air filter in your HVAC system inside your home, not only to help you breathe easy, but to keep your air conditioner from freezing up during the hottest days of the year. In the early days of our business, we got a service call about a motor burnout in Fairfield. It was around this time of year and the client’s AC wasn’t working—meaning things were getting heated in their house.  When our tech arrived he saw that the AC would turn on, but then turn off again within a minute or two. Our tech immediately had a pretty good idea about what the problem was once he saw the service history—the system had not been serviced since installation, which meant the air filter had never been changed in four years. When your HVAC system blows hot or cold air, it uses a fan called the “blower.” This is a motor that pulls air in from outside the house and passes it through an air filter. Imagine sucking on a straw in a glass of water.

Now imagine trying to do it with a milkshake from Dave’s Giant Burgers—delicious, and arguably the best shake in Fairfield, but also much more difficult to suck through a straw. Milkshakes are thicker, much thicker, than water, and so create more resistance when you try to drink them. A clogged air filter that’s never been changed creates resistance in the same way, causing the motor to work harder. Day in and day out, that motor works until it finally overheats. And when it overheats, it shuts down. Without a motor to keep it running, your air conditioner simply cannot work. This cycle of overheating and shutting down was what had been happening to our client’s motor and was the reason for his AC unit freezing up. Eventually, though, it overheated one too many times and simply gave up the ghost. The motor was fried, burning smell and all. There was nothing to do but replace it in order to bring his air conditioner back to life. We did replace it, incidentally. Since it had been 4 years since his HVAC system was maintenanced, we also cleaned the client’s ducts and, most importantly, we put in clean filters and set the client up on a regular maintenance schedule.