A frozen AC line can be a rather peculiar sight in the Carolinas, in the summer. It can happen, though. What causes your AC lines to freeze? What should you then do about it?

Causes of a Frozen AC Line

These are the most typical reasons behind a frozen air conditioner line.

Dirty Air Filters

Did you know you should be cleaning or replacing your air filters on a monthly basis? Failing to do this can cause air flow concerns that, subsequently, cause your evaporator coils and lines to freeze over. You’ll see a buildup of ice on both elements, although the buildup on your pipelines will, of course, be extra evident unless you open your air problem in order to expose the coils.

What To Do About It

Provide your air filter an excellent cleaning if it’s reusable. If not, replace the filter outright. Next off, change your AC unit’s system setting on and leave it there for 2-3 hours. This will draw warm air in, aiding to thaw your evaporator coil. You can also take a look at this article for some suggestions on cleansing the coils themselves if you want to speed up the procedure up. Prior to changing the system back to its typical settings, make sure the supply vents are totally unblocked and also devoid of dirt or various other particles.

If you maintain having this issue even after changing your filters frequently, contact an expert heating and cooling business and have them evaluate your evaporator coil, ductwork, as well as any other elements that might be at fault.

Reduced Refrigerant Levels

Reduced cooling agent levels can cause a drop in your air conditioning unit’s pressure, which consequently lowers the coolant’s temperature level. If this drops too low and stays too low, you’ll end up with frozen lines.

What to Do

Contrary to what air conditioning system “recharge” companies maybe tell customers about refrigerant, it should never need to be simply filled up. You see, refrigerant runs in what experts refer to as a “closed loop.” Refrigerant truly should not be leaving that loophole. If it is, you have actually got a leak.

Paying somebody for nothing but pumping more cooling agent into your system (aka “recharge” it) isn’t the solution. Doing that will merely kick the can down the road. Besides, cooling agent leakages can be damaging to the structure, overall HVAC system, as well as people in your home.

Rather, you require to look after the leak with the help of a specialist. Look into this post for some more details regarding managing air conditioners that are leaking cooling agent. Before you contact a service technician, switch your thermostat to the off position. After that, change the fan setting on as well as let it run for 2-3 hours so the system can thaw.

Improper Temperature Setting

Inappropriate temperature level setups can additionally trigger a drop in your AC’s pressure. What many individuals don’t understand is that air conditioner systems are designed to run when temperatures are above approximately 60 degrees. If you run the system when it’s cold outside, you’ll encounter numerous issues, including frozen components.

What to Do

Make sure your air conditioner unit is switched off during the cooler months. While you might be attracted to use it for defrosting your windows or something of that sort, the disadvantages far surpass any benefits.

Faulty or Dirty Blower Fan

Your AC’s blower fan is used for circulating air around the device. If the follower’s blades have gotten blocked with dirt or debris, they’ll turn slower. Because of this, your air conditioner will end up with reduced air flow. As you can likely see, it’s a recipe for frozen parts.

What to Do

Conversely, the blower fan can additionally decrease if it’s defective. With a well-built air conditioning unit, this is generally a rare outcome. You can rule this out by opening your AC unit as if you were going to do a deep interior inspection and cleaning. Have a look at this article for instructions on doing that with a home window air conditioning system. If the fan is clean, get in touch with a technician. You’ll likely need to have them replace the fan motor. If the fan is dirty, clean the particles from it. If the issue lingers, call a professional.

Act Quick When There’s a Frozen AC Line

An icy AC line isn’t something to ignore or delay taking care of until later on. Leaving the device running while its components are frozen can break the compressor. The longer you leave the system like this, the more probable you are to permanently harm it. Changing a ruined compressor instead of the whole device is often financially infeasible, indicating this can develop into a very pricey fixing.

Before something this serious occurs, you’ll observe that your air conditioning unit runs quite inefficiently, resulting in higher electrical energy costs. This adds up rapidly, making the price of having a technician solution your unit seem like a good decision in contrast.

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At South End Heating and Air we are Charlotte’s affordable AC experts. Call us anytime for a free consult and free estimate. We’ll evaluate your system and help make recommendations for optimum value. After all, we want to keep you cool all summer long and warm in the winter. Just schedule a visit with one of our technicians to talk about how we can help. Would you like to learn more options our techs can help you with? Give us a call 704-684-5339.