The summer can get extremely hot in Menomonie and western Wisconsin, so how in the world is your home’s air conditioner freezing over? It seems to make no sense. You may not even realize it’s taking place. How will you notice if your air conditioner is frozen? It may seem like a ridiculous question, but you typically won’t actually see the ice except in extreme cases. Here are symptoms to watch for that indicate you could be dealing with a frozen AC system that could require air conditioning service:
- Warm air is coming out of your registers while the air conditioner is running.
- Water is leaking from or collecting under your air conditioner.
When we say your home’s air conditioner is frozen, what’s actually frozen is the evaporator coil, which moves heat out of your home to maintain the cooler temperatures. There are two main explanations that an evaporator coil may freeze; one is a refrigerant leak and the second is a blockage of airflow.
If your air conditioner has a refrigerant leak, you will want to speak with your Halverson Brothers Inc technician during your air conditioning service appointment to determine if you will benefit more from repairing or replacing your air conditioner. We can help you assess the pros and cons using background such as the age of your air conditioner and its service history, along with other things.
If your air conditioner has frozen due to an airflow blockage, it’s because there isn’t sufficient air passing over the evaporator coil to dry the condensation that develops on it—then it freezes. Air flow blockages are regularly caused by dirty air filters or even dirty cooling fins. These problems can be alleviated (and avoided!) by a routine air conditioner service appointment. At these service sessions, your technician will clean your system, replace your air filters and ensure everything is operating as it should with no potential challenges on the horizon. It’s also a valuable idea to mark your calendar or set a reminder on your phone to check your air filters frequently and change your air filters when they are dirty. Always be sure that furniture, curtains and other household items aren’t blocking your registers, as even this could cause a large airflow problem and the subsequent freezing problems.
If your air conditioner freezes, turn it off using your thermostat and call the pros at Halverson Brothers Inc to schedule an air conditioning service appointment. We’ll help you identify the complications and have your home back to cool and comfortable as soon as possible. Call us at 715-352-4052 to schedule an appointment with us.