When the West Texas summers heat up into the 90s and above, you’re relying on an ice-cold air conditioner to keep it cool inside your home. But can your a/c unit ever get too cold? In some cases the unit can actually FREEZE up, rendering it useless! In this post, we’ll talk about what causes your A/C to freeze up, and how you can prevent it.
LOW REFRIGERANT
Probably the most common reason for a frozen A/C is a lack of refrigerant. There needs to be enough refrigerant for it to effectively pump cool air from your outdoor unit into your home. A lack of refrigerant will decrease pressure, which causes the evaporator coils to freeze rapidly. This pairs with water vapor to cause the system to freeze, creating frost on the coils as the temperature continues to drop.
Here’s the catch – if you’re low on refrigerant, there’s probably a leak in your system – which can occur in the refrigerant lines, compressor, or evaporator coils. If low refrigerant is your issue, it’s best to call an HVAC technician like ours at The Bosworth Company for help immediately.
DECREASED AIRFLOW
Airflow is essential in any ventilation system. A frozen A/C could be one side effect of poor airflow. Here are a few of the potential issues that could cause a decrease in airflow.
- A broken blower motor will prevent the fan from blowing air over the coils to cool them. This will eventually lead to the system freezing up. If your blower isn’t running, that could be the issue.
- Maybe the fan is running, but an electrical issue is limiting the amount of power being delivered. So even though the air is blowing, it’s not strong enough to prevent the system from freezing.
- Leaks, tears, or blockages within your air ducts can also cause overall issues with airflow. Getting your ducts inspected is a good idea if you have freezing or airflow issues.
- Dirty air filters can limit airflow and lead to a frozen HVAC unit. The good news is that regularly changing or cleaning your filters is an easy DIY project.
DIRTY COILS
Evaporator coils are a critical part of your air conditioner, and they won’t work if your system is dirty. A typical culprit of dirtying up coils is household dirt and dust. Because the coils are wet, dust sticks right to them! If not cleaned regularly, this can accumulate, and cause the system to malfunction or freeze.
WORTH THE CALL
Cleaning your coils is just one of many jobs completed by The Bosworth Company technicians during our Spring Clean and Check. For just $109, give your system a complete check and tune-up, to make sure you stay cool all summer long! Make an appointment online or call us today at (432) 570-5233, It’s Worth the Call. Always.