Everything You Should Know About Heat Pumps

Everything You Should Know About Heat Pumps

Tips To Handle A Frozen AC Coil

Jessica Jimenez

Your air conditioner (AC) uses an evaporator coil to absorb heat inside your house. The refrigerant then channels and dumps the heat outside the house; that is how ACs work. Sometimes the evaporator coil freezes and fails to work properly. Below are tips on what to do if your AC coil freezes.

Turn Off the AC

You risk damaging your AC if you continue to run it with frozen coils. The freezing restricts heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air, and heat exchange is necessary for the AC's operations. As a result, the AC's motor can overheat and fail, the AC's energy consumption rises, and its wear rate increases. Turn off the AC to forestall such problems.

Melt the Ice 

Next, give the ice time to melt. You can accelerate the process by running the AC in fan-only mode. In this mode, the fan runs and circulates air to melt the ice, but the refrigerant doesn't flow. Some people heat frozen coils to accelerate the melting, which risks damaging the system. A cautious option is to use a blow dryer in a low-heat setting.

Diagnose and Fix the Problem

Multiple things can freeze your AC coils. Some are relatively simple to spot and fix, while others require a professional's input. The most obvious cause is a dirty air filter, which restricts airflow and leads to a frozen coil. Check if the air filter is dirty and replace it if necessary.

Call an AC Technician

As mentioned above, some causes of frozen AC coils are complicated to diagnose and solve. Here are some examples.

  • A malfunctioning thermostat. A broken thermostat doesn't control the temperature as accurately as it should. Such a thermostat might cause the AC to run longer than normal and freeze the coil.
  • Refrigerant leak. Such leaks reduce refrigerant pressure and interfere with the AC coil's ability to absorb heat, causing the coil to freeze.
  • Weak or malfunctioning blower motor. Such a motor might produce enough power to circulate adequate air to facilitate the necessary heat exchange.

Call an HVAC contractor for professional diagnosis and repair if you cannot spot an easy fix for the frozen coil. Note that DIY diagnosis and repairs for ACs, especially complex parts such as motors, risk further damage to the system.

Hopefully, an AC contractor will fix your AC before the frozen coil causes much further damage. Remember to service your AC system to reduce such risks.  

For more information about AC repair, contact a local company. 


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About Me
Everything You Should Know About Heat Pumps

Hello. My name is Josiah. I am a 44-year-old married dad of three. I work in the automotive industry and love what I do. Recently, my heating and cooling unit stopped working. I did a lot of research on what type of heating element I should install in my home. I wanted something energy efficient, yet reliable and lasting. After a lot of research, I settled on a heat pump. A heat pump is a great heating and cooling element that many people don't yet know about. I created this blog to help educate other people on heat pumps and answer questions related to it. If you need a new heating or cooling device for your home, I hope my website helps explain to you what a heat pump is and how it can be beneficial.

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