September 19, 2018

Why Do Air Conditioning Units Freeze Up?

Carrier Air Conditioning System It is a problem that most homeowners with air conditioners deal with at one time or another—you look up and discover that your air conditioner has frozen over. So what’s the deal? Why is this happening? Fortunately, there are steps you can take that may fix the problem. If these steps don’t work you can bring in an A/C professional.

Understanding Why Your A/C is Freezing Up

To understand why your air conditioning is freezing up you first need to know the basics of how it works. The air conditioner uses coolant to take the heat out of the air the fan pushes into your home. The coolant absorbs the heat and takes it outside where it is compressed to be run through your home again. Each time the coolant is compressed it releases the heat and is ready to absorb more.

There are multiple things that can cause this system to malfunction, leading to freezing. These include:

Filter Needs to Be Changed

When the air filter gets clogged up with particulates the air flow is reduced. The reduction in the air flow means that less air is moving over the coils in your A/C. There may be less air, but the coolant is still trying to cool down the same amount of air as before. Freezing can result. If you change the air filter you may find the freezing stops.

Air is Too Cool Outside

The way air conditioners are designed means that can start to malfunction when conditions are not right. Your A/C may have trouble operating when the air outside is cooler than 62 degrees or so. If the air is too cool outside the unit may freeze over while running.

Unit Needs More Coolant

The pressure inside your cooling system must be maintained at a specific range for the A/C to work the way it should. When there is not enough coolant in the unit the coolant that is left will expand more quickly than it would under the right pressure. The fast expansion can cause the unit to cool faster than it should which can lead to freezing.

There is a Mechanical Malfunction

Air conditioners are complex machines that can malfunction from time to time. There are a variety of ways that things can go wrong, many of them impossible to identify if you are not trained to do so.

Contact Us for You’re A/C Needs

If your air conditioner is freezing over, we are here to help. Our air conditioning team is here to answer your questions and get your unit running properly again. Contact the BELOMAN team for service throughout the Greater Belleville and Metro East area.