Air conditioning is a comfort you don’t want to do without, especially during the sweltering hot days of summer.
Why is your air conditioner freezing up? Below are three of the potential reasons you could be seeing ice coming from your air conditioning unit.
- 1. Thermostat too low
- 2. Unclean
- 3. Leak
What can happen if your air conditioner freezes up?
- Costly to fix if left too long without maintenance
- Uncomfortably cold
- Quits working altogether
- Possibly makes dripping noises
Air conditioner freezing up
1. Thermostat setting too low
Though it might seem like a good idea at the time to crank your thermostat extremely low, you will likely regret this decision later. As hot as you are, your thermostat is only set up to operate efficiently at a temperature of about 20 degrees Celsius or higher. Turning it any lower than this will only make it run longer than needed and could end up freezing the coils. Frozen coils could lead to excess condensation that sticks around which can lead to leakage.
2. Dirty
Keeping your air conditioning unit clean is essential if you want to keep it from freezing up. To work properly, your air conditioner needs a clean air flow. Dirty filters, coils or a blower motor can clog up the cooling system, stopping it from working properly or causing it to freeze up instead.
Get yourself some new air filters to replace the dirt-ridden ones or call for air conditioner services to help you get the air flowing again. Dirty coils can cause condensation and waterlog this part of your air conditioning unit, eventually leading to it freezing up.
Having professional air conditioner services for regular maintenance will help prevent problems from occurring. If the air is restricted from exiting the vents, then you may have a blower motor problem. Without the ability of your blower motor to force the cool air through the ducts, moisture becomes stuck and left to freeze.
3. Leaking air conditioning unit
Do you hear a dripping sound coming from somewhere in your house? You could have one of the most expensive air conditioner problems to deal with. A leaking air conditioning unit could mean there is damage to your unit somewhere that you may be unaware of.
If the unit is leaking water, it may be caused by a clogged part, but it is best to call for service from a professional technician. On the other hand, if your unit is leaking refrigerant you need to be extremely careful. Call for an air conditioner repair right away as the product leaking could be toxic and harmful to your health.
Yearly and bi-annual air conditioner services are the best way to save you money and keep your unit running smoothly. If you wait too long, one issue could cause a domino effect and instead of just fixing your air conditioning unit, you might need to replace it altogether. Keep yourself cool and prevent your air conditioner from freezing up by monitoring the signs above.
