About Me

Preparing for My Dream Home

My husband and I have spent a lot of time consulting with an architect. After living in our cramped, starter home for the past 11 years, we were finally ready to make some needed changes to it. We have added an extra 600 square feet of space onto our house. Before the construction began, we finalized the plans for our new heating and air conditioning unit with our HVAC contractor. Because our home was going to be substantially bigger than it is now, we purchased a larger HVAC system. We also installed a new, digital thermostat inside my home. On this blog, I hope you will discover the best types of HVAC units to buy for mid-size homes. Enjoy!

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Preparing for My Dream Home

Why Is Your Air Conditioning Freezing Up?

by Rita Richardson

There are few things more frustrating than a broken AC unit in the heat of the summer. And if your air conditioning has "frozen," don't expect it to keep your house cooler. Ironically, when this happens, the coils in the unit collect ice because the refrigerant has gotten too cold. Air may be pumping through your vents, but it's not even remotely cool. If this happens to you, here are some of the common reasons why and what you need to do to fix the problem.

Insufficient Air Flow

Your air conditioning needs to breathe, and when the coils don't have sufficient access to air flow, it can cause them to freeze. There are a few things that can restrict air flow in a central air conditioning system.

  1. Dirty filter. If you don't change your filter often enough, it can build up dust and debris. Make sure you change it as often as recommended by the manufacturer.
  2. Dirty coils. The evaporator coils work by absorbing heat within your home and causing that heat to evaporate. From there, it drips into the condensate pan. When the evaporator coils are dirty, the refrigerant inside can't absorb that heat, so it ends up freezing. You can keep the evaporator coils clean by blowing them off with compressed air, using a soft bristle brush, or hiring an HVAC contractor.

Broken Fan

The condenser fan keeps air circulating around the condenser and evaporator coils. So if it breaks, warm air will accumulate and disrupt the way the refrigerant cools your home, causing the system to freeze. If this happens, you'll need to get the fan repaired or replaced.

The problem usually stems from either the fan or the compressor. If air is moving through your vents but the fan isn't running at all, it's likely a compressor issue. But if you hear a humming sound, more than likely the compressor is fine but the fan needs repairing. It could be something as simple as a fuse or a broken fan blade. Either way, it needs professional attention ASAP.

Refrigerant Leak

As you now know, refrigerant absorbs warm air so it can be removed from your home. Therefore, if your system has a leak or the refrigerant is low, it can cause the coils to freeze.

You can have the system recharged, but keep in mind that a healthy air conditioner shouldn't leak refrigerant at all. So if this is the case, you should look into either repairing or replacing your system.

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