Why is My Air Conditioner Freezing Up? Common Causes and Solutions

Occasionally you may observe your air conditioner freezing up after operating for some time. It will not release cool air properly when this occurs, and ultimately an enormous chunk of ice will form on your evaporator coil. You’ll detect that the airflow is restricted as ice begins to obstruct the system. You will also see more condensation in the drain pan. Below are some possible reasons:

Restricted Airflow
Air conditioners depend on the air running through the system to work correctly. The AC unit can freeze up when too little airflow reduces the temperature. It might be necessary to change your air filter, clean your ductwork or mend your air ducts, depending on what’s hampering the airflow. Think about getting your ductwork sealed, and change the air filter monthly in heavy-use periods such as summer. What causes restricted airflow?

• Dirty Air Filters
  Your AC needs sufficient airflow to run correctly. When your air filter is dirty, it obstructs the airflow. You need to clean or replace it if this is the case. Outside of causing your unit to ice up, a dirty filter does severe damage to your unit. Blocked filters also cause your system works way harder than it should and can burn out the motor, shortening the lifespan of your air conditioner, and cause you to have to replace the entire unit.
• Evaporator Coil Clogged
  Your air conditioning unit may freeze up due to something changing your system and causing it to cool your evaporator coil more than it should, which will cause ice to form on and inside the unit. Something might be stopping the air in your home from conveying its heat into your system. Alternatively, something might be making the Freon in your unit expand more than it was designed to do. This will, in turn, will cause your coils to become colder than usual.
• Fan Not Functioning
  The evaporator coil will freeze if the fan is not working. On the other hand, the fan may be working, but air cannot get through the ice in the frozen unit. A fan relay energizes most fans, and the contacts inside the relay may go bad, making it impossible for your fan to send signals to the motor. A faulty relay is typically less costly and easier to fix than a defective motor.

Low Refrigerant
If your unit is low on Freon, the refrigerant used to cool the system, this will trigger a fall in pressure in the refrigerator coil, which then allows moisture in the air to collect and freeze on the coil. A leak is the typical cause of low refrigerant. You will need to contact us, and one of our certified technicians will find and repair the leak, and refill your air conditioner with refrigerant.

You might be able to manage an AC freezing problem yourself if you catch it in the early enough stages. For issues such as clogged coils or fan not working, you may need to contact an HVAC repair company. Our trained team of technicians will provide you with quick, reliable service if your air conditioning unit is freezing up and you can’t fix it yourself.