How to Fix a Frozen Air Conditioner
Summer’s coming (as hard as it is to believe right now) and here’s聽an often cited聽scenario with the average homeowner: They’re聽at home, minding their own business,聽having聽a bowl of popcorn and watching聽Netflix, when聽all of a sudden — that distant聽dreadful聽sound: drip… drip… drip. They聽look over聽to see the聽household pet聽licking at a puddle that’s聽steadily聽forming on the聽dining room聽floor.聽Suddenly:聽Anxiety, stress, and that feeling.聽What caused the leak?; water heater, leaky toilet, shower, faucet?聽Not necessarily聽—聽the air conditioning equipment may be frozen. This can聽occur聽anywhere, from聽the U.S.聽to聽Timbuktu, regardless of聽summer heat.
Why Air Conditioners Freeze
When a central air conditioner freezes up, what actually freezes is the condenser unit's evaporator coil. This component of the air conditioner transfers (evaporates) heat from the inside to the outside of your聽the U.S.聽area home.聽Usually there are two factors why聽the evaporator coil may freeze:
- The restriction of the system's airflow
- Low refrigerant
Either way, the聽outcome聽is that the air conditioner’s evaporator coil聽will be unable to聽properly聽transfer聽heat, and聽in essence聽‘overcools’ itself. The聽net effect聽of this super-cooling is condensation (that’s water formation), and聽over time聽ice forms from that condensation as it cools below the freezing point.聽In other words, the A/C聽transformed into聽an old-school icebox.
What聽Might聽You Do When Your A/C Freezes?
- Turn the聽unit聽completely off聽at the thermostat, and聽don't try to thaw the system by increasing the temperature at the thermostat.聽Ensure聽the A/C system is completely OFF.
- Check to ensure that the airflow around your system is unrestricted. Replace the furnace or air handler’s filter聽and replace聽any return air filters. Open all the registers completely and聽verify聽that they are not聽impeded聽by furniture or聽curtains.
- Call聽天美传媒. The air conditioning system needs to be聽serviced by a professional that is ACE-certified聽to ensure there are no refrigerant leaks or damage to the equipment. Simply schedule a Performance Inspection or Repair Diagnostic online, or call to talk to a live person right away.
What Does it Cost to Repair?
This can聽become聽a pricey聽repair. When your聽AC聽ices聽over it can lead to聽damage to the compressor. Replacing your compressor聽could easily聽cost as much as a down payment on a聽high efficiency model.聽In fact, many聽homeowners聽are forced to聽decide聽between installing a new system聽and聽repairing the聽damaged聽one. If you聽follow the steps above and quickly聽call an ACE-certified technician, you聽have better odds聽of聽having聽a less expensive聽emergency.
Your technician will聽diagnose the situation聽and how to avoid the issue from聽repeating in the future. If a leak聽is present聽(and that is rare, but possible), the leak has to be repaired or the unit will聽most likely聽freeze again.
