Discovering the air conditioner has been frozen over is never a good thing. When ice freezes up the unit, it indicates a problem which prevents efficient cooling. Today, we at Air Supply Air Conditioning & Heating would like to take the opportunity to discuss the causes for the ice to form on the air conditioning unit.
Airflow is Restricted
The lack of airflow is among the most common reasons why the A/C will freeze. A number of issues can cause the little airflow from the blower motor to the air intake. Your air conditioner will start to freeze up and only get worse with time should anything in the airflow system stops warm air from flowing over the coils while the compressor continues running.
Bad Ductwork
The ducts are necessary to distribute the air throughout the home. Of the ducts are collapsed, leaking, or otherwise restricted, it naturally blocks airflow to the coils. A collapsed or blocked air duct in your home can cause your cooling system to lose the airflow, even the rest of the system is running smoothly. To keep them at the optimal temperature, the coils begin to freeze because there’s not enough warm air.
Defective Blower Motor
The blower motor makes an impact on the system. Should the blower fan stops blowing then the air stops flowing quickly enough over the coils, whether it’s the spinning motor itself or the blower motor’s run capacitor. The coils start freezing once that air stops blowing. If your blower motor is in the process of failing; you may hear irregular or rattling sounds from your air conditioner.
Fan Receiving Low Voltage
Home electricity is commonly the culprit. The air conditioning becomes a central part of your summer power when the air conditioner requires electricity to a variety of high-power components to run. Also, if your fan or blower motor are under-powered while the compressor keeps running.
Clogged Air Filter
The intake filters are another common problem. Though it is all too easy to forget, your air conditioner air filter is not something that should be casually neglected. Keeping the air along your compressor coils clean, the filters sits between your dusty home vent and the AC itself. Clogged filters heavily restrict the airflow, which eventually hinders adequate amounts of airflow to blower efficiency can keep your coils from freezing.
Dirty AC Coils
Layers of dust on the refrigerant coils are often dampened from moist air condensing on the cold surface. As a result, a thick blanket of dust and moisture creates insulation that traps the cold inside the coils themselves creating an excessive amount of freezing cold.
Low AC Refrigerant
Low refrigerant can also cause ice to form on the unit. Because of how your AC manages pressure, the level of refrigerant inside your coils matters significantly. After releasing the heat it collects, the refrigerant is compressed. The pressure drops and after the warm air converts liquid refrigerant into a gas. From there, the compressor will compress the refrigerant and pumps it toward the blower fan inside the house again. Due to the lack of pressure, however, if there isn’t enough refrigerant in the system, the conversion occurs too early. Without enough cold in the moment, the condenses moisture on the coils instantly freezes.
Central Air Conditioning Troubleshooting, Diagnosis, Repair & More in Summerlin, North LV, Henderson, Enterprise, Paradise, Sunrise Manor, Spring Valley, Aliante, Anthem, Desert Shores, Eldorado, Green Valley Ranch, Inspirada, Mountain’s Edge, Peccole Ranch, Providence, Rhodes Ranch, Seven Hills, Silverado Ranch, The Lakes, Tuscany Village & Las Vegas Nevada
In the event you find your A/C unit has frozen over, immediately shut it off from the thermostat. This allows the ice to melt and prevents further damage. Contact a professional for repairs as soon as possible. When you need air conditioning repairs in the Greater Las Vegas Valley, call Air Supply Air Conditioning & Heating and let our qualified experts assist you.