The summer can get so hot in Auburn, so how in the world is the air conditioner freezing over? It seems to make no sense. You may not even realize it’s happening. How will you determine if your air conditioner is frozen? It may seem like a silly question, but you usually won’t actually see the ice except in extreme cases. Here are symptoms to watch for that indicate you could be dealing with a frozen AC system that could require air conditioning service:
- Warm air is coming out of your registers while the air conditioner is operating.
- Water is leaking from or collecting under your air conditioner.
When we say the air conditioner is frozen, what’s actually frozen is the evaporator coil, which transports heat out of your home to maintain the cooler temperatures. There are two main explanations that an evaporator coil may freeze; one is a refrigerant leak and the other is a blockage of airflow.
If your air conditioner has a refrigerant leak, you will want to discuss with your Forster Heating technician during your air conditioning service appointment to determine if you will benefit more from repairing or replacing your air conditioner. We can help you weigh the pros and cons using information such as the age of your air conditioner and its service history, among other things.
If your air conditioner has frozen because of an airflow blockage, it’s because there isn’t sufficient air passing over the evaporator coil to dry the condensation that acquires on it—then it freezes. Air flow blockages are commonly caused by dirty air filters or even dirty cooling fins. These problems can be alleviated (and avoided!) by a routine air conditioner service appointment. At these service sessions, your technician will clean your system, replace your air filters and confirm everything is operating as it should with no potential issues on the horizon. It’s also a valuable idea to mark your calendar or set a reminder on your phone to check your air filters regularly and change the filters when they are dirty. Always make sure that furniture, curtains and other household items aren’t blocking your registers, as even this could cause a large airflow problem and the ensuing freezing problems.
If your air conditioner freezes, turn it off using your thermostat and call the pros at Forster Heating to schedule an air conditioning service appointment. We’ll help you identify the problem and have your home back to cool and comfortable as soon as possible. Call us at 530-885-8081 to book an appointment with us.