The summer can get so hot in Williamsport, so how in the world is your home’s 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 ridiculous question, but you generally won’t actually see the ice except in extreme cases. Here are symptoms to look 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 on.
- 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 keep it cool. There are two main reasons 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 Lycoming Heating Company technician during your air conditioning service appointment to understand if you will benefit more from repairing or replacing your air conditioner. We can help you assess the pros and cons using background such as the age of your air conditioner and its service history, as well as other things.
If your air conditioner has frozen as a result of an airflow blockage, it’s because there isn’t sufficient air passing over the evaporator coil to dry the condensation that builds up on it—then it freezes. Air flow blockages are regularly caused by dirty air filters or even dirty cooling fins. These problems can be fixed (and avoided!) by a routine air conditioner service appointment. At these service sessions, your technician will clean your system, replace your air filters and make sure everything is working as it should with no potential issues on the horizon. It’s also a good idea to mark your calendar or set a reminder on your phone to check your air filters frequently and change your air filters when they are dirty. Always check that furniture, curtains and other household items aren’t blocking your registers, as even this could cause a significant airflow problem and the ensuing freezing problems.
If your air conditioner freezes, turn it off using your thermostat and call the experts at Lycoming Heating Company to schedule an air conditioning service appointment. We’ll help you identify the issue and have your home back to cool and comfortable in no time. Call us at 570-326-4450 to arrange an appointment with us.