What Causes AC Units To Freeze?

You might be surprised to hear Masters Heating & Cooling gets many calls about freezing and icing during a summer in Fort Wayne, Decatur, Angola, Indianapolis, Greenwood, or Mishawaka, IN. In fact, air conditioners often freeze up forming ice on the outdoor coil or indoor cooling coil in the air handler. It’s very important you don’t ignore the situation. Continuing to run your AC unit when it is frozen can cause serious damage to the compressor.

Why It Happens

There is no doubt about the leading cause of an AC unit freezing up: It’s poor airflow. I’m not going to bore you with the science but when airflow is reduced the refrigerant in the system actually gets TOO cold. As a result, the condensation produced by the cooling process freezes into ice. The single biggest reason for the reduced airflow is a dirty or clogged filter. It’s another reason why changing your filter religiously is so important. If the filter doesn’t appear to be the problem or you know it was changed recently, you will need to call a professional to determine what’s causing the icing.

Other Things To Look For

Certainly, there are other reasons for a frozen AC unit. Among them are:

• Low refrigerant level caused by a leak
• Dirt on the evaporator coil
• A weak or bad blower motor
• An expansion valve that is stuck or closed
• Collapsed ductwork

It’s important to know our Masters technician can’t work on the problem until the air conditioner has thawed out. You will have to be patient because this can take several hours. You can speed up the process by turning the AC unit off as soon as you notice the problem but turn the fan switch to ON instead of AUTO. This air movement will help the ice melt more quickly.

An Ounce Of Prevention

The bottom line is that nearly all the situations that cause an air conditioner to freeze up can be prevented with regular maintenance by Masters Heating & Cooling. Don’t risk this happening in your Fort Wayne, Decatur, Angola, Indianapolis, Greenwood, or Mishawaka, IN home during the dog days of summer. Call and make your appointment now. For more great information be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.