why does a house ac unit freeze up

How to Repair a Frozen Up Central Air Conditioner Unit Whether you have a window unit or a central air conditioner unit, you can troubleshoot some simple repairs for a frozen up system quickly and save some money. Defrost the unit by turning it off. Turn off the breakers to the unit to avoid short circuits. Tape a tarp or large trash bag under the unit to catch the water as the ice thaws. After the ice thaws, hand dry the unit and let it stand to dry for 24 hours. Inspect the unit to ensure it's dry before turning the power back on. Verify the outside fan and inside fan units are working and turning. Do not check the units by sticking your hand in them. Check the filters on the indoor unit. Make sure you change the filters every three months. Some filters allow air flow in only one direction. Make sure air is able to flow through the filters and into the unit. Clean the cooling fins. These are thin strips of metal that are easily bent. Be careful to not bend the fins.
With the power to the unit off, use a medium pressure hose to wash dirt from the fins in the outside unit. Trim grass and remove debris from around the unit. Clean the inside unit using a lower pressure air line or a vacuum cleaner. Use a flashlight to check the fins. If light can pass through the fins, then they are clean.The main reason units freeze up is low coolant. Contact an HVAC technician to check the charge of your unit and add coolant if needed. Keep an eye on the unit. If it starts freezing up again or loses its cool air ability, then you probably have a leak. If you do all the cleaning yourself, you’ll save paying an HVAC tech to do it. Always ask if the work is guaranteed. Get a receipt for your work. Verify all the work is listed. Use a certified HVAC technician for services. Outside air units have a capacitor. They hold energy even when the power is off. Never try to do electrical repair on any unit unless you are a trained professional. Weatherwise Heating and Air Conditioning;
Air Conditioning Repair Denver; Occasionally, your air conditioner will no longer put out cold air. One of the reasons could be that the air conditioner's coils...Home Maintenance & Repair; Why Does My Air Conditioner Freeze Up All the Time? Central heating units use a refrigerant to move heat back and forth from a building. Coils allow heat to pass from the...hvac and air conditioning If you notice that your air conditioner isn't running as well as it should, the first problem for which you should check...install window ac unit in wall When the temperatures outside are on the rise, most of us rush to turn down the thermostat in our homes. cab ac unit Frozen air handlers are signs of serious problems in a central air conditioning unit.
Several issues cause ice to form on air... Fixing Frozen Air Conditioner Coils How to Defrost an A/C Unit How to Fix a Frozen Evaporator Coil My Central Heat & Air Unit Is Not Working What to Do If a Central Air Conditioner Is Not Blowing Why Does a Central Air Conditioner Freeze Up?Why Does my Air Conditioning Coil Keep Freezing Up? Your air conditioning unit is a complex series of mechanical parts that is designed to keep you cool during the warm seasons. If the evaporator coil keeps freezing up, though, this indicates that there could be a serious issue. Find out what the coil is, why it freezes up and what you can do to fix it. What is the Evaporator Coil? The air conditioning coil, which is called the evaporator coil, is essentially the most important part of your unit. It is constructed of aluminum fins bonded to internally grooved aluminum tubing. As the warm air in your home passes over these coils, the heat is removed from the air and cooler air is filtered into your home via the system.
The evaporator coil works directly alongside the condenser; the evaporator coil removes the humidity from the air and the condenser condenses this humidity into water for elimination. As a homeowner, it is likely that you don’t notice a problem with your air conditioning system until it runs continuously or not at all, the air in your home is too warm, or the airflow coming through your vents is significantly reduced. One of the main causes of reduced airflow is a frozen evaporator coil. The coil itself is typically located inside the air handling unit in your home. If air cannot flow through it freely due to a buildup of ice, then the air that is processed by the system lowers in volume and this becomes noticeable as your home gradually gets warmer. Causes for a Frozen Evaporator Coil There are two primary things that can cause your evaporator coil to freeze. The first is a lack of airflow across the coil in general. Remember that there is refrigerant flowing through the copper or steel tubing that is designed to remove the humidity from your home.
If there is no humidity to remove, or even if airflow is blocked for some reason, ice will begin to develop. Second, your coil can freeze if there is a problem in the refrigeration system itself. Air conditioning units with a low level of refrigerant can freeze, and if this is the case, your unit will need servicing. The good news, though, is that you can generally defrost your evaporator coil at home with a bit of patience. First and foremost, if you notice that your air conditioner is frozen, simply turn it off. Now, you won’t want to defrost it too quickly because it could overload the condensate drain and cause water damage. In order to defrost it slowly, go to your thermostat and move the fan switch from ‘Auto’ to ‘On’. This will force the warmer air in your home over the ice to defrost it. You should never be tempted to use a blow dryer or a heating pad as this will cause the ice to melt far too quickly. If these steps resolve your air conditioning issue, then you can turn the unit back on and allow it to run as normal.
However, you should call in a trusted A/C company to do an annual maintenance on the system and check to see what is causing the problem. Posted in Air Conditioning FAQs and tagged air conditioner, coils, evaporator coil, freezing, freezing up, maintenance. AC Installation & Replacement “What a great team of professionals you have! I would like to take this opportunity to highly commend your Team... for the first rate installation of our A/C unit.” “My husband told me what he read on the side of the REM van: ‘This is the Rheem Team – and we will impress you’… “Since your crew worked on my air conditioner my house is so changed. The air is so clean and fresh smelling… I am able to have a comfortable temperature through out...” “You are to be commended not only for you skill and methodical approach in getting the work done well and speedily, but also for your wise selection of high caliber workmen. We are enjoying the system very much, and you can rest assured that we will recommend you and your company highly to anyone contemplating the installation of central heat and air.”