Why Does My Air Conditioner Keep Freezing Up?

We recently had a customer call us because he had noticed the air blowing through the vents in his home wasn’t as cool as normal. When he checked his air conditioning unit outside, he discovered that it was frozen solid. As an air conditioning service in Central Kansas, we get calls like this a lot, particularly during this time of the year. At K V K Inc., we love to help our customers by not only repairing their air conditioner, but by helping them understand what went wrong and how to prevent it from happening in the future. So if you are having a similar issue with your air conditioner freezing up, here’s what you need to know.

Air filter

If air is unable to flow properly through your air conditioner, condensation freezes up on the coils inside your system, which then prevents your unit from being able to cool the air properly. The culprit behind poor airflow is typically a dirty air filter. Depending on your home environment, your air filter should be changed every three to six months. To prevent other air blocks from occurring, you should have an air conditioning service in Central Kansas do a maintenance check on your system twice a year.

Leaking refrigerant

While a clogged air filter is a simple fix, the other main culprit of a frozen air conditioner is not. Typically, if it’s not your air filter causing the problem, it’s a refrigerant leak. Refrigerant is what allows your air conditioner to cool the air. When there is less refrigerant in your air conditioner, but the air conditioner is still running at the same rate, it actually creates a cooler temperature inside your unit, which then causes it to freeze up. While some refrigerant leaks can be fixed, at least temporarily, by refilling the coolant, you will need to either have the unit repaired or purchase a new one for a long-term solution.

Settings

On a really hot, humid day, the settings on your air conditioner can actually cause it to freeze up as well. Ideally, your unit should be cooling air and moving it through the system quickly to avoid too much condensation accumulating inside the system. If you have your unit set to a very cool temperature, you should also have the fan setting on high. This will help prevent condensation from building up in the system and freezing.

Mechanical issues

Your air conditioner is a delicate machine, and anything that goes wrong in the system mechanically can upset the balance of airflow and coolant. If your fan is running slow or isn’t working properly, for example, this can upset the entire air conditioning system. In these cases, it’s best to call in an air conditioning service in Central Kansas to diagnose the problem.

If your air conditioner is freezing up, try one of these tips to get it up and running again. But if you need extra help, don’t forget to call K V K Inc., your local and family-owned heating and air conditioning experts!

Categorised in: Air Conditioning Repair

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