Have you been in the middle of a heatwave and noticed that your air conditioning unit froze over? While it may sound impossible for your cooling system to freeze on such a hot day, there are two major reasons why your system may require air conditioning repair. 

Restricted Airflow

Your AC unit requires its evaporator coil to absorb warm air, cool it with refrigerant, and disperse the now-cool air into your home. If there isn’t enough warm air blowing onto the coil, the refrigerant will get too cold and cause the component to freeze over.

While you may have enough warm air in your home, the coil may not receive it due to a couple of possible restrictions. For example, you may have a problem with the blower fan, a clogged air filter, blocked air vents, leaky ducts, or a dirty evaporator coil.

If you suspect your air conditioning unit is suffering from restricted airflow, you can check to see which aspects of the unit aren’t working. First, turn your thermostat off and the fan setting on. After three or four hours, you can turn the thermostat back on and see if the blower wafted warm air into the unit and thawed the pipes.

If this does not work, check your air filter. If it’s dirty, replace it and check to see that all the vents are clean and open to improve airflow into the unit. If these steps do not thaw or stop ice from forming, call a professional to come and assess your air conditioning repair needs.

Low Refrigerant

If your AC unit has low amounts of refrigerant, the pressure in the evaporator coil will drop. This can prompt the temperature of your system to drop, which will cause ice to form if it gets low enough.

Since the refrigerant is supposed to circulate your system in a closed loop, it shouldn’t become low. A depletion of the fluid is usually due to a leak somewhere in the system.

If there’s a hole in your coils causing the refrigerant to leak, you shouldn’t try and fix this on your own. The chemical is poisonous and requires professional care.

While waiting for someone to arrive, turn your thermostat off and the fan setting on to try and thaw your pipes. Your air conditioning repair professional will do the rest.

If your air conditioning unit is freezing over, allow Kool-Wave Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc. to help. The professions in Lake Havasu City, AZ, have the experience and training to fix any HVAC maintenance problem you might have. Visit them online to apply for financing or call (928) 855-5665 to schedule an appointment.