As the weather heats up, many homeowners will begin to turn on their AC units. If you turn your unit on and notice ice has formed on your unit and not much air is coming out of the register, then you may have a frozen unit. A frozen unit lacks the necessary power to push the air through the ducts and into your home. Here are several reasons that may explain why your AC unit is freezing up.
Low Refrigerant
The most common reason for a frozen AC unit is low levels of refrigerant. Whether you have a refrigerant leak or it hasn’t been properly changed, it is important to investigate the cause of low refrigerant levels. Refrigerant is important for collecting heat from the inside of the home and transferring it outside. Without proper refrigerant levels, the coils may freeze up. If you notice ice on your unit, contact an AC repair expert to check your refrigerant levels.
Insufficient Air Flow
Lack of airflow will cause the air conditioning unit to freeze up. AC units are designed with return vents that will suck up hot air and pass it through the evaporator coils to cool your home to a comfortable temperature. Without proper airflow to the evaporator coils, your unit won’t be able to remove the heat to cool your home and the coils may freeze.
Lack of Maintenance
An AC repair technician should perform yearly maintenance checks on your AC unit to ensure that it is sufficient working order. AC repair experts will check your air filter, fan, refrigerant level, evaporator coils, and other parts of the unit and make any necessary repairs before you run your air conditioner this summer. A dirty air filter may be what is causing your unit to freeze up as it contributes to a lack of airflow. If your fan isn’t working correctly, then once again, the evaporator coils may not be getting the airflow they need to cool the home, thus causing the unit to freeze. To be sure that your unit has a clean air filter and proper fan speed, call an AC repair technician to perform an annual maintenance check this year.
Temperature and Thermostat Problems
If you are running your unit in low temperatures under 62 degrees then you may be causing your unit to freeze up as they are designed to only run at higher temperatures. Sometimes, your thermostat may be malfunctioning, cause your AC unit to run all night long without stopping. This overuse not only wastes energy and money but will freeze the unit. Consult a professional AC company such as Comfort Experts to examine and repair your thermostat so that you can conserve energy and keep your unit from freezing.
If you have any questions or concerns about the possibility of your unit freezing up, then call the Comfort Experts for more information.