What Causes My AC to Freeze Up?

Freezing up is one of the most common issues to come up with air conditioners. For many homeowners, this is a confusing issue, as they will see ice accumulating on the side of their outdoor unit, despite warm temperatures all around. What is going on? This article will break it down to help you understand the problem.

If you have a frozen AC unit and need help from a professional and experienced team, call Berico today. AC repair is one of the many services that Berico offers, but no matter which service you need, you’ll always receive excellent pricing and reliable work. Call today to get started.

How Air Conditioning Works

The issue of an air conditioning unit freezing up starts to make more sense once you understand how the system is supposed to work and what is going on behind the scenes. At the heart of your air conditioning system is a set of evaporator coils. Those coils carry refrigerant, which is how heat is moved from one place to another in this system. Inside the house, the refrigerant takes heat out of the air before carrying that heat outside where it is dumped into the surrounding atmosphere.

When all is well, the fan in your outdoor unit blows over the coils, cooling them off and releasing heat into the air. Then, the cooled refrigerant runs back inside, picks up more warmth from the indoor air, and takes it back outside again. This looped system just keeps running for as long as the unit is on.

Problems Can Arise

With the background in place of how an air conditioner is supposed to work, we can then see what causes it to freeze up in certain situations. As a starting point, make sure your air filter is always clean since a dirty filter can directly contribute to this problem. A dirty filter is going to restrict airflow, and without enough airflow, the coils could wind up freezing. Stay ahead of the game on this point so you can get optimal performance from your system without any unwanted ice developing.

It’s also possible for dirty coils on the outdoor unit to lead to trouble with freezing. This is a problem that is often encountered with older units that have been sitting outside for many years. Having the whole system maintained by a professional team, including a cleaning of the outdoor unit, can go a long way toward preventing freeze-ups.

Another reason for your AC freezing up is leaking coils.  When an aged coil or improperly maintained coil begins to leak refrigerant, it can cause an HVAC coil to freeze up.  Depending on the location of the leak, it can either be repaired or replaced.  Due to HVAC standards, it is not legal to refill refrigerant in an HVAC system that is known to be leaking without repairing the leak.  Many less-reputable companies will add refrigerant to a leaking system, but never truly fix the leak.  This leads to continued complications and expense for the customer.

Yet another possibility is a blower fan that is not working as it should. Without the blower functioning correctly, the airflow over the coil won’t be sufficient, and it can get too cold and freeze. If you find yourself with a frozen coil for any of these reasons or another one entirely, it’s best to get help from an HVAC technician to properly unfreeze the A/C system and get it back up and running once again.

Solve the Problem Right Away

With your A/C frozen and no cold air flowing, the summer can quickly get uncomfortable. Reach out to Berico immediately to bring a qualified technician out to your home. Soon enough, the problem will be solved and the temperature in your house will begin to fall. Don’t wait any longer!