Why your city Home's A/C Freezes Up In SummerSummer’s coming (as hard as it is to believe right now) and here's an often cited scenario with the average your city area homeowner: They’re sitting in their house, minding their own business, having a bowl of popcorn and watching Netflix, when all of a sudden – that distant awful sound; They glance over to see the dog licking at a puddle that's gradually forming onIn a flash: Anxiety, stress, and that “how much will this cost?” feeling. How did the leak start?; Nope – the air conditioning equipment may be frozen. But, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning offers hope. The evaporator coil is the component of a central A/C unit that actually freezes. This component of the air conditioner transfers (evaporates) heat from the inside to the outside of your your city area home. reasons why the evaporator coil may 1. Airflow restriction, or 2. the ending effect is that the air conditioner's evaporator

coil cannot operate to properly transfer heat, and in essence 'overcools'The net effect of this super-cooling is condensation (that's water formation), and finally ice forms from that condensation as it cools below the freezing point. Yep, the A/C transformed into an old-school icebox. 1. Turn the unit completely off at the thermostat, and don’t try to thaw the system by increasing the temperature at the thermostat. sure the A/C system is completely OFF. 2. Confirm that there is nothing restricting the airflow to theReplace the furnace or air handler's filter along with any return airOpen all the registers completely and ensure that they are not obstructed by furniture or drapes. 3. Call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. The air conditioning system needs to be inspected by a NATE-certified professional to ensure there are no refrigerant leaks or damageSimply schedule a Performance Inspection or Repair Diagnostic online, or call to talk to a live body right away.

< Previous February 19, 2015Next >how to make a ac unit Heat pumps can ice-up during the winter time. how do i know what size ac unit i haveAnd it is normal for the entire coil to be covered in a white frost, even light ice, during certain weather conditions. my ac unit is not workingBut it is not normal for the entire unit to be encased in ice; including the top of the unit and the insides of the coil for an extended period of time. This indicates a problem and should be addressed quickly to save energy and avoid serious damage to the equipment. Heat pumps will naturally ice-up in the winter but will periodically go into a defrost cycle to de-ice the coils. This keeps the unit running efficiently. If the coils are blocked by ice, proper heat transfer between the refrigerant and the outside air cannot occur.

The unit pictured left, was iced-up so badly, it damaged the fan blades, crushed the outdoor coils; causing the refrigerant to leak out and ruined the compressor - a complete loss. On a call for defrost, the reversing valve is energized, switching the system into the air conditioning mode. That is right - Air Conditioning. The outdoor evaporator becomes the condenser but at the same time the outdoor fan shuts off. This allows the high pressure refrigerant circulating through the outdoor coil to get very warm, melting the ice. At the same, the second stage heat (the back-up heat) is energized to offset or temper the cold air now blowing out the vents. When a sensor or thermostat in the outdoor unit reaches a certain temperature and/or a certain amount of time goes by, the system goes back to normal heating mode. At this time a cloud of water vapor can usually be seen rising out of the outdoor unit and a "whoosh" sound can be heard as the refrigerant reverses direction. The entire process usually takes between 2 to 10 minutes depending on conditions.

Different heat pumps have different ways of determining when to go into defrost. Some (older models) use mechanical timers in conjunction with a defrost thermostat. If the thermostat is cold enough and enough time goes by, the unit will go into the defrost mode, whether it's iced-up or not. When the thermostat heats up to a certain temperature, defrost is terminated. Hopefully at this time, much of the frost has melted off. Most of the newer equipment today uses solid-state control modules with temperature sensors. Even more sophisticated is the Demand Defrost system which makes calculations based on the outside air, the refrigerant temperature in the coil, and run time. This is the most efficient way to defrost. If a heat pump is severely iced-up during winter use, it's possible that it's not defrosting, but there are many other causes. Bad defrost control or timer Bad defrost thermostat or sensor Bad reversing valve solenoid coil Bad outdoor fan motor

Outdoor coil blocked - possibly with leaves or snow drift Unit sunk in ground - nowhere for ice to melt and drain off Leaking gutter dripping water onto top of unit Freezing rain - causes top of unit to freeze over - once this happens the rest of the unit will also freeze over If the top of the heat pump is covered in ice, turn it off and remove the ice. If a gutter is dripping on the heat pump, repair the gutter. Keep snow and leaves away from the heat pump including underneath it. If the heat pump has settled into the ground, it must be elevated - usually on blocks or special feet. (Should be done by a technician) With the outdoor unit of, (you can set your thermostat to emergency heat), ice can be removed with a garden hose. If the heat pump ices-up again, it is time to schedule a service call. Important: Whatever you do, please, never pick the ice off with a sharp object. The refrigerant coils and fins can be damaged very easily.How 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? How do you replace the evaporator coil on an air conditioner? 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. What is a split air conditioner system? 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 much does the coil cost for a 2 ton air conditioner? As of 2015, an evaporator coil for a 2-ton air conditioner costs around $200 to $600 depending on the brand. The repair task itself of installing the coil ...