You must have probably read this blog title and asked yourself, “An AC cools, and shouldn’t this be normal?”
Sadly, it is not normal, and you need to know how to tell if your AC is frozen. Ice is not a part of the cooling process and is never an effective way to cool your home. Instead, electric current and coolant absorb the heat from your home and draw cooler air from the cooling process back in through your AC vents.
The function of an air conditioner is to expand the coolant inside the evaporator coil to cool down so that when it exits the air conditioner, it chills the air in your home and effectively absorbs the hot air from within the house. However, if any part of the air conditioner malfunctions, the whole system gets disrupted. This issue leads to the evaporator coil allowing the coolant to cool too much, causing it to drop below freezing temperature; this leads to freezing.
If you see ice formation on your air conditioner, it’s time to call Anderson Air on how to unfreeze AC. However, can you tell if your AC is frozen? Well, here’s how:
1. How to Tell if Your AC is Frozen
Your AC Is Blowing Warm Air
This may appear absurd, but it is a symptom of how to determine if your air conditioner is frozen. This warm air is produced as a result of the ice that accumulates alongside the coolant coil and insulates it. This insulated coil will not be able to absorb heat from within your home, causing the coolant process to be disrupted.
You notice ice formation
As previously stated, ice is neither typical on your air conditioner nor used in the cooling process. So, if you notice ice on your air conditioner, it is a sign that your central air conditioner is frozen. If you detect this problem, we strongly advise you not to attempt to remove the ice on your own, as this can result in more harm. Instead, turn off your air conditioner and contact a local HVAC company.
Water leaking from your AC unit
Water dripping or pooling around your air conditioner is one way to detect whether it is frozen; this could be due to a number of factors. First and foremost, it may indicate that ice is beginning to melt and drip. On the other side, it could be due to your condensate pan overflowing and allowing accumulated water to escape. Whatever the reason, it’s a good idea to contact a competent HVAC service.
Check for Leaks
If any component of your AC unit has frozen, the excess water your AC produces won’t correctly drain – which will probably result in some leakage from your unit. Inspect the area around your air conditioner for any sign of water damage. If you see any, you should defrost your AC unit, and if you fail, you need to call a professional to fix your AC unit.
Dirty Coils
Check the coils. Like how a dirty air filter interrupts your unit’s airflow, dirty evaporator or condenser coils can do the same. To restore airflow, remove any debris or mold from the coils. How can you determine if your central air conditioner is frozen? Coils that are filthy!
Assess the airflow
Limited airflow is another reason for your HVAC system malfunctioning. Just like a clogged filter, clogged vents and ducts limit adequate airflow.
Inadequate airflow is how to tell if the AC is frozen because this forces your HVAC system to struggle to dissipate the cold or hot air without an exit. The fault could be in a poor ductwork setup. The ducts get installed perfectly; however, it is the wrong choice for your home and its size in a few cases.
2. Why Does Ice Develop on Your AC unit?
Great question! In place of the fact that we just mentioned that ice isn’t a normal part of the air-cooling process. There are two fundamental reasons that ice might develop on your air conditioning system’s evaporator coils:
Lack of airflow due to a blocked filter
When your air conditioner’s filter, for whatever reason, is too stuffed with dust and debris, your system will not effectively take in sufficient air. That is a sign that there is inadequate air over the AC evaporator coils. The evaporator coils will dip below freezing due to the coolant inside, and frost eventually coats the outside. As we hinted above, this will also enable other complications, such as lukewarm air coming out of your air vents.
You are running out of coolant charge
This coolant charge refers to the coolant level within your Air conditioning system. The system is pumped with sufficient coolant to last your AC unit’s lifespan during manufacturing. The absence of coolant in your system should indicate a leak in the coolant pipes. When there isn’t enough of this substance to dissipate heat, the temperature of the AC evaporator coils drops below zero, resulting in frost. The creation of ice is not the sole source of concern; so, too, is coolant loss.
We strongly advise that you reach out to a pro if you believe this is the problem with your air HVAC system, as the substance used as a coolant is dangerous.
Conclusion
The factors causing a frozen AC are avoidable with some frequent maintenance and checkups. Checkups and replacing air filters often go a long way in avoiding mechanical failures, blockages, and leaks.
However, if you have any Air Conditioning issues, you’re now capable of fixing them in record time all on your own. Maintaining your HVAC system in good shape will enable it to run more effectively, saving you some bucks on that electric bill and stopping it from becoming a pain in your neck.
On a similar note, by hiring a professional HVAC service, like Anderson Air, you’ll receive an annual AC checkup while taking advantage of any Maintenance Plans.
With this method, you can keep your AC in good working order, save money, and let your air conditioner unit keep you cool or warm as needed for a long time.