3 Fast Ways to Restore a Frozen Air Conditioner

Does the air coming from your supply registers suddenly appear not cold enough? Look at the indoor part of your air conditioner. This piece is located inside your furnace or air handler, if you have a heat pump. If there’s water dripping onto the floor, there may be crystals on the evaporator coil. The AC coil within the unit may have frosted over. You’ll need to defrost it before it can cool your home again.

Here’s what to do. If you can’t get the coil defrosted, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning is here to help with air conditioning repair in Longmont upheld by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.*

Step 1: Set the Air Conditioning to Off and the Blower On

To begin—move the thermostat from “cool” to “off.” This prevents chilly refrigerant from moving to the outdoor compressor, which could hurt it and cause an expensive repair.

Then, adjust the fan from “auto” to “on.” This produces heated airflow over the crystallized coils to make them defrost faster. Remember to set the cooling mode to “off” so the air conditioner doesn’t trigger a cooling cycle.

It can take less than an hour or most of the day for the ice to melt, depending on the level of the buildup. While you’re waiting, keep an eye on the condensate pan below the AC unit. If the drain line is clogged, it can create a mess as the ice melts, possibly creating water damage.

Step 2: Diagnose the Trouble

Insufficient airflow is a prime reason for an AC to frost over. Here’s how to get to the bottom of the issue:

Exmaine the filter. Low airflow through a dirty filter could be to blame. Look at and replace the filter each month or once you notice dust accumulation.
Open any closed supply vents. Your house’s supply registers should be open constantly. Shutting vents reduces airflow over the evaporator coil, which can lead it to freeze.
Check for covered return vents. These typically don’t use shiftable louvers, but furniture, rugs or curtains can still block them.
Low refrigerant: While airflow restrictions are the most common suspect, your air conditioner could also have insufficient refrigerant. Depending on when it was replaced, it may rely on Freon®. Insufficient refrigerant necessitates skilled help from a certified HVAC tech. H2: Step 3: Call an HVAC Technician at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning

If insufficient airflow doesn’t seem to be the problem, then another problem is causing your AC freeze. If this is what’s happening, merely defrosting it won’t take care of the trouble. The evaporator coil will possibly continually freeze unless you fix the underlying problem. Contact an HVAC specialist to address problems with your air conditioner, which can include:

Refrigerant leak: AC units keep using refrigerant, so it shouldn’t run low. Insufficient refrigerant is a sign of a leak somewhere. Only a pro can pinpoint the leak, mend it, and recharge the air conditioner to the appropriate level.
Grimy evaporator coil: If dust accumulates on the coil, air can’t get to it, and it’s likely to freeze.
Nonfunctional blower: A faulty motor or unbalanced fan might stop airflow over the evaporator coil.

The next time your AC freezes up, call on the ACE-certified technicians at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning to repair the trouble. We have years of experience helping homeowners check their air conditioners, and we’re sure we can get things running again quickly. Contact us at 303-647-5749 to schedule air conditioning repair in Longmont with us right away.

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