A well-functioning AC should be able to cool your Northshore, LA home during the long hot season, but the system shouldn’t be freezing itself. If you notice ice building up on AC coils, you may have a serious problem on your hands, though the problem may have a variety of sources.
A Refrigerant Leak
This is among the most common cause of sudden ice buildup, especially if that buildup takes place on your unit’s compressor. Refrigerant leaks will decrease the pressure inside your unit, which will decrease temperatures. If this problem becomes severe enough, ice may suddenly form around the compressor and stop it from functioning.
Since it is dangerous to handle refrigerant, you shouldn’t attempt to replenish your system’s supply of it on your own. Instead, call an HVAC technician to do the job.
Bad Airflow Arising From Dirty Filters
There are many reasons why air might be circulating poorly through your air conditioning system, but all of these will diminish functioning in a way that has the potential to cause ice buildup. Among the simplest and easiest-to-resolve causes of poor airflow is the presence of old or dirty air filters.
If you suspect that you have this problem, turn off your system, replace the filters and wait for the ice to thaw. If the ice returns after you do this and restart the unit, then we recommend calling an HVAC professional for help.
Mechanical Failure
This is an important but very general cause of ice buildup, one whose precise details can vary considerably. Your unit might have frayed or destroyed wiring, rusted refrigerant lines, broken fans, misaligned fan blades, or other problems.
For example, if the unit has a broken fan or blower motor, the fan won’t be able to pass warmer air over the coils and absorb heat. As such, the temperature around the coils may plummet, causing ice buildup. In all cases of mechanical failure, you should request AC repair services to discover the exact nature of the problem.
Accumulated ice can freeze parts of your AC and keep the whole system from working — something you definitely don’t want to experience when the temperatures outside are still in the 80’s and 90’s in Northshore, LA. To quickly take care of this problem, call Caribbean Breeze Heating & Cooling and ask for our AC services.
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