Has your air conditioner frozen up? Frozen air conditioners are surprisingly common in both residential and commercial settings. In fact, they’re one of the most common reasons for air conditioner repair throughout the United States.
Frozen air conditioners can occur for a variety of reasons, from poor ventilation to worn out filters and other components. Luckily, a frozen air conditioner is easily fixable by a qualified, experienced HVAC technician.
In this guide, we’ll explain how frozen air conditioners can happen and cover all of the most common causes of air conditioner freezing. We’ll also share how you can reduce the risks of your home or commercial AC system from freezing up over time.
Why do air conditioners “freeze up” over time?
All types of an air conditioner can freeze up, from wall air conditioner units to larger HVAC systems designed for large interior spaces such as offices.
In fact, every type of air conditioner can potentially freeze up, assuming it’s used in conditions that make this a possibility. There are also several reasons for an air conditioner to freeze up, ranging from its location to its refrigerant levels, air filter condition and more.
Poor air flow around the evaporator coil
The most common reason for an air conditioner to freeze up is poor air flow around the unit’s evaporator coil. This prevents proper heat exchange from taking place, meaning the coolant inside your air conditioner can’t effectively remove excess heat from your building’s interior.
The end result is a continual decline in the temperature of your air conditioner’s components and coils that, as time goes on, begin to freeze up.
Low refrigerant levels (typically due to a refrigerant leak)
Another common cause of air conditioner freezing is a low refrigerant level. When an AC unit lacks an adequate amount of refrigerant, the temperature of the evaporator coils can decline rapidly, eventually causing the unit to freeze moisture as it touches the coil.
A clogged filter or other mechanical damage
Air conditioners can also freeze up due to an overly clogged or unclean filter. Over time, dust and other particles can collect inside your air conditioner’s filter, reducing airflow and boosting the risk of poor air flow causing a freeze-up.
Overly cold outside temperatures
Finally, low outside temperatures can cause your air conditioning unit’s evaporator coil to freeze up. This is because lower-than-normal temperatures affect internal air pressure, increasing the likelihood of ice developing inside the air conditioning unit.
Luckily, air conditioner “freeze ups” are easy to solve
Most of the time, an air conditioner freeze-up is a fairly easy problem for an experienced HVAC technician to solve. In fact, the majority of frozen air conditioner coils can be repaired without an overly expensive repair bill.
Before a technician can repair your air conditioner, they’ll need to look for the root source of the freezing problem. Most technicians will start by checking your air conditioner’s filter, which is an extremely common source of freezing-related issues.
If the filter is clogged and dirty, replacing it with a new, clean filter is often enough to improve airflow and stop the freezing from occurring.
If a dirty filter isn’t the cause of the problem, an HVAC technician will likely check your home or commercial space’s ductwork. Often, a blockage in ducts caused by leaks, disconnects or other obstacles can cause the reduced airflow that produces a frozen evaporator coil.
If this isn’t the problem, a technician will usually look at air flow around the air conditioning unit itself. Sometimes, things like lawn clippings, leaves or other particles can affect air flow. These are usually easy to clean away, making it simple for a technician to restore normal air flow.
Finally, most technicians will check your air conditioning unit’s refrigerant level. If the refrigerant level is too low, they’ll identify the source of the leak and repair it, then top up the refrigerant for proper function, solving the freeze-up problems in the process.
Is your air conditioner freezing up?
There are several signs that your air conditioner could have a frozen coil. The most obvious is ice inside the air conditioning unit’s access panel. Sometimes, ice or frost might even be visible on the outside of the air conditioner.
Another sign that your air conditioner could be frozen up is excess warm air flowing out from the air conditioning vents. Check the registers (vents) on your system — if the air feels warm, it could be due to a frozen evaporator coil.
Finally, if your air conditioning system just isn’t working as it should — and, in particular, it there is little cool air flowing from the system regardless of the thermostat setting — it’s a fairly reliable sign that it could have an ice build-up.
In all of these cases, repairing your air conditioner is a relatively simple process. A qualified AC technician will be able to quickly and easily identify the cause of the freezing and carry out a full air conditioning repair, helping you enjoy the comfortable temperatures you need at home or in the workplace.
