AC Troubleshooting – Reasons Why Your Florida AC Freezes Up

If you live in the hot and humid weather conditions of South Florida, your air conditioning unit is one of the most important appliances in your household! Air conditioners must be maintained regularly, and if you notice your unit may have frozen up, AC troubleshooting must be done! With bad luck this will happen on one of the hottest days of the year, and your home will be left to turn into an oven! Find out more about how to troubleshoot your AC, and several reasons why it may have frozen up.

What Does It Mean if My AC is Frozen Up?

This means that your air conditioning unit has ice covering it! It can happen for a variety of reasons. It generally happens when hot air flows over the cooling coil in the air handler to be cooled, however, the moisture in the warm air is also cooled, and creates condensation onto the cooling coil. Usually, this water is drained away and out of the house, but when the ac is clogged or has been running for a long time, the coil can go below freezing temperature, causing the condensation to turn to frost or ice. Why is this a problem? Well, once there is ice covering the coil, warm air cannot pass through properly, meaning that it will not be cooled, leaving your house to heat up!

Troubleshooting My AC for Causes of the Freeze Up

• Reduced Air Flow

  If warm air cannot flow over the cooling coil, the coil temperature will be able to drop below freezing point, and moisture will freeze and form layers of ice over the coil. This will also mean that from then on, warm air cannot be cooled in your house! Of course, during the hottest months, this is a potential disaster. This problem can easily be avoided through regular maintenance of the air handler – simply call Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric to perform a thorough check, or to fix the problem if it already exists. If you do not have you’re AC unit serviced by a professional, freeze-ups can become a common occurrence!

• A Leaking Coolant

  It sounds ironic, but if your air conditioner does not have enough coolant (a liquid or gas that is used to remove heat from something) it will freeze up. It is possible that your AC has a leak that is allowing coolant to disappear from the unit, meaning that the coil will not have sufficient fluid to remove heat from the air that passes over it. Less heat from the air is then able to be absorbed, meaning that the coil will drop into freezing temperature and you have another ice problem!

• Hot Outdoor Temperatures and Cool Evenings

  Living in South Florida means that your AC needs to work overtime! If cold air is able to escape through leaky windows and doors, your AC cannot keep up. When outdoor temperatures begin to drop in the evening, the coil may not work as efficiently, allowing it to reach freezing point again. Temperature swings also mean that condensation increases, allowing ice build-up inside your AC.

What to Do to Prevent AC Problems?

The most important thing you can do is to be proactive and not reactive! This means you need to schedule regular maintenance check-ups with trusty professionals such as Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric to thoroughly clean and check the unit to ensure it is in top working condition. If you leave this until you have a real problem, you will be stuck with hot, uncomfortable temperatures in your home until it can be fixed.

Art Can Fix It! Call Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric today at 1-800-475-1504 for professional and affordable service!