Why is my R-22 air conditioner freezing up?This story is produced and presented by our sponsor, AJ Perri.Air conditioners are meant to cool down temperatures, but did you know that an air conditioner itself could actually get too cold? That’s right, too cold. We know it’s hard to believe. Air conditioners can actually freeze up.There are a handful of reasons why an air conditioner may freeze up; we’ll dive a little deeper into each of those reasons below:Essentially, what happens is Freon in the air conditioner may be expanding more than it is designed to. Or a blockage has occurred, preventing air in a home from transferring heat into the air conditioner system, causing a freeze up in the unit.This can happen when…There is insufficient airflow across an air conditioner’s evaporator coil.When an air conditioner is low on Freon.When an air conditioner is run when the outside air is below 62 degrees.Or when there is a mechanical failure, aka a kink in refrigerant lines, etc.An air conditioner cools by taking out heat from a home.

If an air conditioner isn’t properly blowing inside air over the evaporator coil then the required heat exchange won’t occur, causing the Freon that should be removing heat from a home to fail from doing just that.Low pressure in an air conditioner means there is less Freon in the system, but the system is still being forced to expand the same amount, the more expansion equals a cooler temperature.Air conditioners are designed to be run in a specific temperature range. If the air outside is below 62 degrees then the pressure inside the air conditioner will drop, causing an air conditioner to freeze up.A frozen air conditioner is never good for the unit itself and it will not cool your home properly, costing you more in utility bills.Unfortunately, unlike some problems, this one will not solve itself. A frozen air conditioner is a problem that should be addressed immediately by a professional HVAC technician.Contact A.J. Perri if you are experiencing a frozen air conditioner at your home, we’d be glad to give you a hand.A.J. Perri has been serving New Jersey homeowners since 1971, with years of experience and a national reputation for superior technical skills in heating, air conditioning, plumbing and indoor air quality systems.

They service those in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Sussex and Union counties. best brand portable ac unit or give them a call at (732) 654-0604.two ton air conditioner unitYour heat pump can freeze up any time of the year, not just during the cold winter months. air conditioning units single roomUnder normal operation, frost develops on the outdoor coils. When the frost begins to build up, the unit automatically shifts into defrost mode to melt the frost. If this defrosting mechanism malfunctions, ice can build up to a point that the heat pump freezes and ceases to function. Learn what you can do and when a qualified HVAC tech is needed. Sometimes the unit itself is not the problem.

One of the first things you can do if you notice ice buildup is to see if the water is coming from an external source. A leaky gutter above the unit or freezing rain can cause ice buildup that blocks airflow past the coils. Blocked air vents, clogged air filters and debris build up around the unit may restrict airflow. Clear away all debris surrounding your outside unit and move any items inside the home that are blocking your air vents. Change the filters every few weeks or months according to the manufacturer’s specifications. A qualified HVAC technician can troubleshoot a more complicated problem with your heat pump. In some cases, water accumulates inside the condenser because the slab underneath the unit shifts or settles. A technician can offer solutions for improving drainage. Technicians can check the unit’s automatic defrost controls for faulty or worn components. Repairs may include replacing a faulty sensor, thermostat, defrost relay or reversing valve. Your heat pump is vulnerable to icing if the refrigerant level drops too low.

If this is the case, the technician will have to determine the source of the leak and repair it before refilling the system with refrigerant. Technicians must be certified by the EPA to work with refrigerants, so this is definitely a task you cannot do without help from the professionals. Ice build-up on your outdoor unit is the most obvious sign when your heat pump freezes up. You can rely on the experts at Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating to offer effective and affordable solutions for all your residential HVAC system maintenance and repairs. Follow us for informative articles on heating, air conditioning and energy savings. What size air conditioner do I need? Why do I need a Licensed Refrigeration Technician to service or install my air conditioning system or heat pump? What is a Heat Pump? What is this “Zuba” thing and how is it different than a regular Heat Pump? Where can I find more information on Energy Savings with heat pumps? What about the Federal Grants for upgrading my home?

I don’t have a furnace or ductwork. Can I still get air conditioning? What does SEER mean? What is the difference between an air purifier and an air filter? How do I maintain my system to work most efficiently? What do I do if my air conditioner has frozen up? My air conditioner seems to be leaking water onto my furnace. My air conditioner or heat pump does not seem to be keeping cool enough. My heat pump seems to be blowing cool air. How come my furnace still comes on sometimes, even though I have a Heat Pump? My heat pump seems to make a “clunking” noise sometimes. What do I do if my system seems to be doing something abnormal? How should I program my thermostat for the most efficient operation? Back to top ^ Why do I need a Licensed Refrigeration Technician to service or install my air conditioning system or heat pump? What is this “Zuba” thing and how is it different than a regular heat pump?

Compared to other means of heating, heat pumps are very efficient, but only as long as the outside temperatures stay above 0ºC. From this point and below, a supplemental heating system has to be used. Our Zuba-Central system is equipped with Mitsubishi Electric’s exclusive Hyper-Heat Inverter (H2i) technology, which gives you the same performance benefits all the way down to -30°C and below without having to resort to a back-up heating source! Zuba-Central provides unmatched cooling and heating capabilities, keeping your entire home cool and consistent in the blaze of summer, and toasty and comfortable during the coldest of winter days. The Zuba-Central heat pump system is superior to other traditional heating and cooling systems, and it outperforms competing heat pump systems as well. For example, with Zuba-Central’s H2i technology, you can count on quick start-up times. Plus, the unique defrost mechanism provides an extended period of continuous heating between the defrost time, and minimizes the defrost time required, proving yet again that Zuba-Central is one of the most efficient systems on the market.

Where can I find more information on the Energy Savings with heat pumps? City Green Solutions (BC) What about the federal grants for upgrading my home? For older homes undergoing multiple renovations, it may be worthwhile to check out the ecoENERGY retrofit grants available from the federal government. The Government of Canada provides grants to property owners who complete energy efficiency retrofits based on energy advisors’ recommendations. The grant amount is based on carrying out energy efficiency retrofits such as increasing your attic insulation or replacing your gas furnace with a qualified ENERGY STAR® model. Only homes that have undergone a residential energy efficiency assessment by an NRCan-licensed advisor will be eligible for grants. The application for the grant is be made by an NRCan authorized Energy Advisor on behalf of the owner. For more information on the ecoENERGY Retrofit program, check the Energy Savings Plan (BC) website, or contact one of the local Energy Advisors listed here.

Check out our HVAC products page for Mitsubishi Electric’s “Mr. Slim” line of ductless split systems. These extremely quiet units mount to an outside wall (not a window) preferably linked to a centrally located room where there is good air-flow to surrounding areas, and provide cooling and also heating to that entire level of your home. This is definitely NOT your father’s noisy old window shaker! How do I maintain my system to work most efficiently? What do I do if my air conditioner has frozen up? How come my furnace still comes on sometimes, even though I have a heat pump? We have written an HVAC Welcome Letter outlining some simple principles that every homeowner should understand in order to keep their system operating efficiently for many years to come. As well there are some tips to avoid potential problems and eliminate un-necessary service call charges. HVAC systems are complicated networks of machinery that should be serviced by a certified professional.

However, if your HVAC system seems to be malfunctioning, you can try a few of the basic steps listed below which may correct your problem, prior to calling a service professional. If all of the tips check out and your system still seems not to be operating properly, or if you are uncomfortable with performing any of them, feel free to schedule a service call. (All service calls are COD unless the issue is covered under the manufacturer’s warranty.) Air conditioning systems should never be set below 21-22° (71°– 72°F). Settings lower than this will commonly result in the system freezing up, requiring a defrost cycle (see tips in our Welcome Letter) and if frozen long enough, expensive damage to the compressor could result. Heat pumps work best at a constant thermostat setting of between 20°C and 23°C (68° – 74°F) – year round. For heat pumps, the old “furnace mentality” of setting your system down dramatically during the night to save energy, and setting it higher again in the morning, is very ill-advised and actually decreases the efficiency of the system.