Imagine this. You come home after a long day at work. It’s summer, so you crank up the air conditioner. Nothing. You lower the set temperature. Nothing. Your air conditioner isn’t working. According to AC repair professionals, one of the most common problems your air conditioner can have is freezing.
Don’t let the word trick you. When the air conditioner freezes, it doesn’t freeze up the house—it leaves you in the heat. Since this problem is the last homeowners think when they have AC problems, they can’t tell whether their appliances are frozen.
How to tell if your AC is frozen
There are plenty of things you can look out for to tell whether your air conditioner has frozen. These things include:
The appliance is blowing hot air.
Go near the vents. Is the appliance pumping out warm air? Chances are the air conditioner components have frozen, and the appliance can’t properly cool air for your home. When you are having this problem, you should check the air filters.
What is the condition of the air filters? When did you last clean them? If it has been long, the filters are dirty, so inhibiting effective airflow.
You also should check the coils. The same way dirty air filters inhibit effective airflow, it’s the same way dirty evaporator or condenser coils inhibit proper airflow.
Look out for ice
If the coils and filters are in good condition, look inside your unit for icy tubing. If you see ice in the appliance, turn off the air conditioner and allow the ice to thaw.
Are there leaks?
If any part of your air conditioner has frozen, any excess condensation that the air conditioner produces won’t drain properly, which will result in some leaking. Carefully inspect the appliance for any signs of water damage.
What should you do if your AC has frozen?
How you fix the issue depends on its cause. Some of the ways you can fix it include:
Clean the filters
If it’s long since you cleaned air filters, clean them to get your air conditioner functioning properly. The cool thing is you don’t need to hire a technician to help you with it. Begin with locating the return vent, unscrew the cover, remove the old filters, and replace them with new ones.
While you are at it, also inspect the coils and fins and find out whether they are dirty and need cleaning. If dirty, use a soft brush to remove dust and debris carefully. You also should check whether the supply registers in your home are open.
Thaw the appliance
Have you found ice in the appliance? You should thaw it. Like cleaning the air filter, this process is easy. Switch off your thermostat and turn on the fan. This will begin defrosting the A-coil in your house. Give your appliance a few hours for it to fully defrost.
After defrosting, locate the air handler and frozen coil. Carefully inspect the condensate pan and ensure its draining properly before switching on the appliance.
You also should check the coolant levels. Low levels will trigger the appliance to freeze, so you should check, and if the levels aren’t correct, get a coolant installation kit from your local home improvement store and seal the leaking area.
In most cases, this will fix the problem, and it won’t come back again. But if you do this and the problem keeps on recurring, you have a deep-seated problem that can only be diagnosed by a reputable AC expert.
Can you prevent the air conditioner from freezing in the future?
You can keep your air conditioner devoid of issues by taking good care of it. At least once every three months, inspect your air filters and, if dirty, replace them. If you have pets, you may have to replace the filters more often, such as once every month.
Many homeowners forget to change the filters, so to ensure this doesn’t happen, keep a reminder on your phone or computer.
It’s also good practice to hire an air conditioning repair services McLean provider to inspect your unit once a year and fix any prevailing issues. When hiring the repair professional, ensure they are experienced enough and have successfully handled several appliances similar to yours.
