Why Your Air Conditioner Is Icy And What You Can Do About It
Posted on: 18 June 2015
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If an optimist notices ice forming on their air conditioner, they might say their unit is doing too good a job at cooling the air. A realist, on the other hand, will say that an air conditioner is not meant to create ice.
In fact, an icy air conditioner won't work efficiently; if left untreated, the ice can cause damage to the unit. But even if you turn off and defrost the air conditioner – and you should do so as soon as you can – that icing is still just a symptom. There are two main problems that can lead to icy buildup on an air conditioner: air flow problems and refrigerant problems.
What Are The Air Flow Problems?
Air conditioners need to be able to circulate air to work properly. The air in the room is cooled by being forced through the unit, coming in contact with the cold refrigerant. That air then moves back into the room, cooling it. But if the cool air simply sits next to the refrigerant, it may drop below freezing.
This means that anything that obstructs air flow – dirty filters, damaged ductwork, clogged evaporator coils, or malfunctioning blower motors – may cause ice to develop. You may even be able to feel the reduced airflow from your unit if you are familiar with its usual output.
What Can You Do About Them?
The first thing to check is the filters because they are the easiest to fix. If you pull out the filter and it looks dirty, clean or replace it. Once the coils have defrosted, check them for dirt and debris as well, and clean off anything you find. A vacuum with a soft brush attachment is a good way to do this.
You may find, after this cleaning, that your air conditioner doesn't ice up again – if so, you know that you found the problem. If your problem is with damaged ducts or a damaged blower, however, you should call an HVAC technician to repair the unit.
What Are The Refrigerant Problems?
Refrigerant leaks and low refrigerant can also cause air conditioner icing. It may sound backwards, but lack of refrigerant lowers the pressure in the entire evaporator coil. The refrigerant in the coil works by absorbing heat inside and discharging it outside; low levels of refrigerant can't absorb enough heat, causing the coils to get too cold and condensation on them to freeze.
What Can You Do About It?
If your unit is low on refrigerant, this means you have a leak somewhere – refrigerant is not used up by an air conditioner and should last indefinitely. Unfortunately, refrigerant leaks are not a do-it-yourself job. The chemicals used for air conditioning refrigerants, like Freon, are serious environmental hazards; this is why you are not allowed to throw old air conditioners and refrigerators in the trash. Because of this, you should have any refrigerant problems handled by a trained technician like one from Arlington Heating & Air Conditioning.