Why a Frozen Air Conditioner Is a Problem in Your Home

1 December 2017
 Categories: , Blog


If you notice the inside of your air conditioner is frozen during the regular inspection, you should call an HVAC repair company as soon as possible. Though many people think it is normal for an air conditioner to freeze because it cools the air, the truth is that freezing is an indicator of a more significant problem. Here are some of the issues associated with a freezing air conditioner.

Failure to Cool the Home

When you have an HVAC system, cooling occurs because the coil with the help of the refrigerant absorbs all the heat in the house and transfers it outside and then cold air comes in. If the coil is frozen, the ice will blocked it and there will be no enough heat passing through it to get transferred outside. This means that your home won't be as cool as you want.

High Power Bills

You may notice that your AC is not reaching the thermostat temperatures, so you decide to increase or decrease the temperature only to notice nothing is changing. This will prompt you so you to tune it further. As you do this, the thermostat is forcing the air conditioner to overwork. This will translate to more energy consumption and a higher electricity bill. Apart from the high electric bill, overworking the air conditioner will eventually make the compressor to break and that will require a lot of money to replace. You may even be forced to buy a new unit.

Leaks in the AC

Though ice in itself is harmful enough to the AC, things can get worse if the ice starts thawing into your unit or home. Apart from encouraging mold and mildew due to wetness, water leaking out of your AC can cause a short because the unit is run by electricity. There is a lot of harm that unseen water can do to your HVAC system so you should ensure that the coil is dry and clean all the time. If freezing and leaking continue long enough, your AC can be damaged beyond repair.

Breakdown of the AC

A frozen coil is usually not the problem, but it is an indicator that something else is wrong. Some of the causes of freezing include leaking refrigerant, dirty filter, broken fan motor and short cycling. If any of these problems continue, the AC will eventually stop working because the components are damaged.

Regular air conditioning maintenance is crucial in ensuring everything is running correctly in the unit. Be sure to call for air conditioning repairs to curb the problem if you notice that the coil is frozen. Call a HVAC contractor for annual tune-ups to ensure that the system is working optimally.


Share