Despite the irony of an air conditioner freezing in the middle of the summer, this does happen frequently. Few homeowners have the knowledge and understanding of air conditioners necessary to solve this issue independently. Fortunately, we researched this to help you tackle why your PTAC can freeze.
The following can cause your PTAC to freeze:
- Blocked airflow
- Mechanical issues or refrigerant leaks
- Chilly summer evenings
Just because there isn't any ice doesn't mean there isn't a freezing problem, so keep that in mind. However, the presence of ice assures that your air conditioner is frozen. There are several reasons why ice may accumulate on your air conditioner. Keep reading to know more about why your PTAC is freezing.
Understanding Your PTAC
The effective operation and long life of a packaged terminal air conditioner (PTAC) depend on preventive maintenance and how you take care of it. Below is a list of factors that can affect your PTAC.
Blocked Airflow
To prevent humidity from condensing on the coils and freezing, you should ensure that the air conditioner has a steady flow of air.
You need to ensure your air filters aren't dusty and developing clogs to keep the airflow in your home flowing enough to avoid interfering with the operation of your air conditioner.
Over time, your air filters get blocked due to dust and other impurities that can block the airflow in your home. It's best to replace or clean your air filters frequently to avoid this.
Mechanical Problems
There are numerous moving parts in air conditioners that might break, jam, or become trapped. Things can leak, fans can cease operating, filters can clog, and refrigerant lines can kink.
Any one of these situations results in a drop in pressure, which allows the refrigerant to expand excessively and get overly cold.
Refrigerant is also crucial for your equipment to maintain a consistent temperature throughout. Another recognized reason for freezing up is a refrigerant level that is too low.
Some of these issues are simpler and less expensive to resolve than others. Any repair for a coolant leak is probably only going to be a temporary one.
Cold Nights
The optimal temperature thresholds at which air conditioners should function are predetermined. An air conditioner can malfunction when summertime evenings are colder than the optimal threshold can tolerate.
How To Avoid The Freezing Of Your Air Conditioner
When talking about a frozen air conditioner, this refers to the condenser in your forced air furnace. The condenser is a heat exchanger connected to your furnace via which the AC lines enter and exit, which is why the condenser may leak.
To avoid the freezing of your air conditioner, you should:
- Defrost the AC.
- Examine the filter.
- Verify that the fan is operating correctly.
Now that you know why your air conditioner is frozen, here are some of the solutions you can try to get your air conditioner working again quickly.
Defrost The AC
Turn off your air conditioner as soon as you detect it is starting to freeze. The air will be hardly moving and won't be particularly cold. It would be best if you first turned the fan on and the thermostat off of the air conditioner to defrost the ice.
For the appliance to completely thaw, keep the fan running for a few hours. It might thaw out in certain circumstances after an hour. In other, more extreme cases, you might need to keep the fan running continuously for 24 hours.
Examine The Filter
A filthy filter could be why there doesn't seem to be enough air blowing out of the vents in each area.
Filters that are clogged will restrict airflow. A technician will inspect and evaluate airflow rates during a maintenance visit. They may replace soiled filters if needed.
Your system won't operate as well if your air filter is clogged with dirt and dust. Since it is a common cause of frozen AC condensers and is very simple to correct, it is a good idea to examine this first.
If your AC is being used frequently, you may need to change or clean the filter as often as once a month.
Check The Fan
Examine the circulation or the dual shaft fan motor for any issues or flaws. Two blades make up this component, one on either side of the motor.
The fan blade functions on one side by bringing outside air over the condensing coil. This procedure is carried out to ensure that the unit effectively dissipates heat.
You may also manually turn the blade and inspect the fan motor for flaws. If it cannot rotate freely, the motor bearings in the component are worn out.
If so, it's time to swap out the component. Check the fan motor's incoming electricity to see if the blades can rotate.
Why Is Your AC Evaporator Coil Freezing?
A frozen AC evaporator coil is one of the most frequent AC problems that can impair the operation of your AC. Fortunately, there is a simple solution for it.
First, here's a quick explanation of the role of the evaporator coil, the causes of evaporator coil freezing, and what you can do to restore the functionality of your cooling system.
The evaporator coils won't correctly function if they are covered in ice. The air that emerges from the supply vents will be heated since they are no longer in contact with the ambient air and cannot absorb that heat.
Depending on if the equipment is heating or cooling your home, the heat pump's evaporator may be found inside or outside the unit. In situations where the heat pump is producing heat, outside coils act as evaporator coils.
There are several causes for evaporator coils to freeze, including:
Insufficient Airflow
The most frequent cause is that the air conditioner isn't getting enough airflow, frequently brought on by blocked drains, inadequate fan speed, or clogged air filters.
Lack of airflow means there won't be enough heat to keep the condensation from freezing into ice on the evaporator coil.
To cool the air, the evaporator coil of your air conditioner vaporizes liquid refrigerant. These coils should be chilled but not frozen. The refrigerant vapor temperature in a well-functioning air conditioner is maintained at approximately 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
If the coils get any colder, they may freeze. Once they do, they keep accumulating ice.
Malfunctioning Thermostats
Your thermostat controls how hard your air conditioner has to work to maintain a constant temperature in the building by checking the temperature frequently.
A malfunctioning thermostat could cause the air conditioner to run too long and wear out the system if it senses the temperature incorrectly or controls it inappropriately.
Coils can also freeze if the air temperature your system is trying to cool is too low, similar to how they freeze when there is restricted airflow. Insufficient heat may cause the condensation on the coils to freeze over.
Refrigerant Leaks
A substance called refrigerant flows through the air conditioner coil of your air conditioner, changing pressure and temperature to absorb heat. If there is a leak, the reduced pressure will cause it to overheat.
The coils then freeze over, as a result, followed by the refrigerant lines. In some countries, it is against the law to leave refrigerant lines leaking in addition to the fact that refrigerant leaks are terrible for the environment.
Instead of just adding more refrigerant, a professional should rectify the leak or replace the coil.
Dirty Coil
The evaporator coil in your system will accumulate debris over time, including dust, dirt, grime, and more. As a result, it cannot receive the required airflow to transport heat, which could cause the system to freeze over.
Evaporator coil cleaning is a crucial component of our air conditioner tune-up service. Condensation will freeze if coils are dirty since they cannot effectively absorb the heat from the air.
Blocked Condensate Lines
Your air conditioner's condensate lines are responsible for removing extra moisture caused by humidity. Through pipes, this moisture's water condensate makes its way to a floor drain. A clogged pipe can cause water to become stationary and freeze.
Clogged Drainpipe
The evaporator coils naturally produce condensation as part of their operation. However, excessive condensation may form on the coils and freeze if the drain pipe is blocked or impeded.
In Closing
A common and frustrating issue that affects homes is a frozen air conditioner. You can avoid issues with your AC freezing with routine maintenance and tune-ups.
Regular maintenance and air filter changes make mechanical issues, obstructions, and leaks significantly less likely to occur.
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