Air conditioners make air cold. In order to do this, they have to be cold. But they absolutely should not be covered in ice! If your air conditioner has ice on it, something is wrong. What could the problem be? How should you deal with it? Here are some simple instructions.
First: Ice Removal
You definitely don’t want to try to scrape or chip ice away from your air conditioner. The ice is on the evaporator coils, which are delicate and contain the refrigerant. If you damage them, you’ll have an even bigger problem on your hands. In fact, a leak somewhere in the coil system could have caused your ice problem. So what should you do?
Simply let the ice melt away. Turn the air conditioner off and leave it off. Chances are, it won’t take long for the ice to melt. The moisture will drip into the condensate pan, which has a drain to allow moisture to flow away from your home. It’s a good idea to check occasionally to make sure the drain is handling this extra moisture okay and not overflowing.
Second: Cleaning
If you don’t have a refrigerant leak, it could be that you only have a mess that needs cleaning. You might be able to resolve your problem with just a little tidying up! The reason ice develops on evaporator coils is that the refrigerant inside them isn’t able to soak up enough heat. Why? Perhaps because there’s something in the way, or perhaps because there’s not enough warm air blowing through.
The “something in the way” could be as simple as a layer of dust on the coils themselves. This can act like insulation, keeping the heat from getting to the refrigerant. You should blow the dust off from time to time with canned air. In case the issue is a lack of warm air, change the air filter. A thick layer of dust there could prevent sufficient air circulation.
Third: Trying Again
Once your air conditioner is ice-free and clean, it’s time to turn it back on. If the problem persists, it may take a while for the ice to develop. It’s caused by moisture condensing out of the air and then freezing against the too-cold coils, so it happens gradually over time. If no ice returns, great! Just make sure to keep the air conditioner cleaner in the future.
Fourth: Professional Repairs
If your evaporator coils do end up covered in ice again after some hours or days go by, you’ve got an actual problem on your hands that cleaning won’t resolve. It might be a refrigerant leak somewhere in the coils. Or it could be that the blower fan or the motor that powers it failed to push enough warm air past.
Either way, you need air conditioner servicing in Madisonville, LA. A qualified HVAC technician can find and repair the damaged spot on the coils and top up the refrigerant, or repair the damaged or struggling motor.
When you need it done right, contact Professional Heating & Air.