A frozen air conditioner fails to cool your home properly. When the refrigerant inside an air conditioning system falls below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, humidity on the evaporator coil freezes. The coils become encased in ice, and the air conditioner fails to cool the home sufficiently. Homeowners can perform routine checks and maintenance, but trust electrical repairs, leaks, and replacement of faulty devices to the pros. Once you discover a frozen unit, turn off the system and turn on the blower to help thaw the evaporator coils. Feel the air coming out of the supply registers. If it feels warm, the evaporator coils may be iced over. Turn off the air conditioner and open the access panel to the evaporator. The panel is located in different spots for different manufacturers, but are typically near the furnace system inside the home. Small hex-head screws hold the panel in place . In severe cases, the ice may be visible outside the unit. Examine the copper coils. If they are encased in ice, the air conditioner is frozen.

Do not attempt to clear the ice by hand. That could damage the air conditioner's components. Check the filters located either in the air conditioner’s plenum, or at the cold air return grate for the home. If the filters are dirty, replace them. Look at the coils as well as the cooling fins around the evaporator. If they are coated with dirt, clean them using a soft plastic brush, such as a toothbrush, and a light touch. The fins may bend with too much pressure. electricity unit calculator for acMake sure all the air conditioning supply registers are open in each room the unit supplies with cold air. how stuff works ac unitBlocked registers restrict air flow, which causes the temperature inside the evaporator to increase. carrier split ac units

Time the air conditioner cycle once it has thawed and you’ve turned the unit back on. It will cycle for a long time until the house reaches the thermostat setting, but should then shut off. If the unit continues to run, the electrical contactor in the outside portion of the unit may be damaged or its fuse may have blown. Call an HVAC service person to check the unit and make repairs. Call an HVAC service person after you’ve checked all the registers, coils, and filters. The unit may be leaking refrigerant, the replacement of which must be performed by a licensed repair person. Things You Will Need Nut driver and sockets Air filter Soft plastic brush Warning References HVAC Parts Outlet: Troubleshooting a Frozen Evaporator CoilHorizon Services: Help! Photo Credits Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionHow do you fix an air conditioner that keeps freezing or icing up? To fix an air conditioner that continually freezes or ices up, check things like the air filter, refrigerant level, blower motor, evaporator coil and ductwork.

If the cause is not immediately clear, the homeowner should contact a local heating, ventilating and air conditioning, or HVAC, professional. What factors should be considered when purchasing steam baseboard heaters? Where is an air filter located in an air conditioner? An air conditioning unit freezes up because the evaporator coil is being cooled more than it should be. Doing a few quick checks can help determine what the root cause is, and define an easy fix.Check the air filterA clogged air filter causes the system's temperature to drop because there is not enough air flow through the conditioner. Replace the filter every 2 to 3 months.Check the refrigerant levelNormally, Freon levels stay the same. If there is a leak, however, the refrigerant level will drop. If the pressure drops too low, it causes the unit to ice up.Check the blower motorIf the unit is running but the indoor system is not, that indicates the motor blower may not be working correctly. This lack of airflow may cause the system to freeze.

Check the evaporator coilLack of airflow can also be caused by a dirty evaporator coil. It causes a temperature drop and icing up of the system.Check the duct workThis involves going into the attic and inspecting the duct work for leaks, bends or disconnected sections. A blockage in the duct decreases airflow, resulting in freezing. A split air conditioner system is one in which the evaporator coils and air handler are physically separated from the condenser coils. These are also known... How do you replace an air conditioner evaporator coil? To replace an air conditioner evaporator coil, disconnect the unit, examine it for damage, cut the tubing to remove the coil, and then insert the new coil ... What are the parts of an air conditioner? The four main parts of an air conditioner are the evaporator, condenser, expansion valve and compressor. A refrigerant, fans to blow cold and hot air, filt... Where do you find used furnaces for sale? Where can you buy a thermostat for radiant heat?

What items come in a Frost King heat cable kit? How do you calculate the proper air conditioner size for a house? What causes fluctuation in AmeriGas propane prices for consumers? What is resistance heating wire?When summer’s here, or really any time you want cool, dry air while driving, your car’s air conditioner (AC) is critical to your comfort and safety. Unfortunately, frozen AC lines can put a major kink in your road trip. Why are your car AC lines freezing up, and what you can do about it? Usually, AC is one of those forgotten systems that you never really think about until it stops working. Sometimes there can be worn or unmodified AC systems that function for years without a problem. On the other hand, if your car has been in an accident, has ever had any AC components removed or had any service done, the situation is ripe for frozen AC lines. What Causes Car AC Lines to Freeze Up? Really, the only thing that should be in your car’s AC system is refrigerant and oil.

To keep these things inside and others — such as air, moisture and dirt — out, the pipes, hoses and seals are specially designed to maintain a tight seal. The problem of car AC lines freezing up is caused by moisture that has been introduced into the system. At the expansion valve or fixed orifice tube, depending on the system, liquid refrigerant instantly expands into a gas, forcing the temperature to drop. Moisture in the system can freeze at that point, blocking refrigerant flow through the valve, and you’ll notice you have warm air coming out of the vents. As the valve warms up again, the ice melts and refrigerant flows, so you’ll get cool air again, but the cycle will continue. Generally, the only way that moisture can get into the AC is if the system is opened up or if you have a leak. If there is a leak, air and moisture can be pulled in by vacuum on the low side of the system. Also, any time that the AC system is opened, moisture can get in. For example, if you use an R-134a top-off bottle to fill it up, a little moisture can get in when you open the valve cap and install the can.

Similarly, if an accident breaks the system, such as the condenser or one of the lines, the open system can freely absorb water from the air. Normally, the receiver-dryer absorbs some of this moisture, but it only has so much capacity before it is saturated, leaving the rest to float about in the refrigerant stream. What Can You Do About Moisture in the System? If you notice your car AC lines freezing up, you have to get rid of the moisture that’s causing it, starting with a full leak check. Recover the refrigerant from the system and make any necessary repairs to parts such as O-rings, hoses, lines or evaporators. If the system has been opened for more than a few hours from an accident, damage or corrosion, the receiver-dryer absolutely must be replaced. It can become saturated when left exposed to the air. Alternatively, if the system has only been open a few minutes, during recovery and evacuation for engine repair, for example, you probably won’t have to replace it. Evacuate the AC system for about 30 minutes to boil off any moisture in the lines.