Maybe you’ve seen it in a movie or even seen it on your neighbors AC unit: that layer of ice around the system that seems to give off the idea that the air conditioner is keeping things really cool. The reality, however, is that ice on an air conditioner is anything but a good sign.
While this is a common misconception we want to make sure to address the idea that ice on your air conditioner is a normal thing because it isn’t. Ice collecting on your indoor AC unit is actually a warning sign that something has gone wrong within your cooling system and needs to be addressed sooner than later.
So, rather than just scraping off the ice and forgetting about this occurrence, you should continue reading to discover why your AC is creating this new issue and learn what you can do to get the issue fixed before your system breaks down.
What Causes Ice in Your Air Conditioner?
In most cases, you will discover ice building up within your air conditioning system, primarily on your evaporator coil. The question is, what exactly causes this to happen? Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t caused by your air conditioner being exceptionally powerful–in fact, ice on your evaporator coil means that your system is going to be struggling pretty badly to keep your home cool.
There are going to be two main causes behind a build-up of ice in your AC system:
- Problems with the flow of refrigerant. Refrigerant is the substance responsible for absorbing the heat from the air in your home and transferring it outside. If the refrigerant in your evaporator coils isn’t flowing at the usual rate, whether that is being caused by a problem with compression or a leak, it will hinder your system’s ability to absorb heat which will lead to that build-up of ice.
- Problems with the airflow over the evaporator coils. The other potential cause of ice in your AC is going to be poor airflow in your system. Without airflow going over your evaporator coils, your AC will be producing a lot of cool air that has nowhere to go, thereby creating a collection of ice around the coils as they effectively chill themselves.
What to Do
So now that you know what the causes of icy air conditioners actually are, the next question is how do you handle this issue? If the problem is being caused by low airflow, you may need a new filter or you might need to check your fan; if the issue is being caused by low refrigerant, you’ll need to get the leak found and patched, along with getting a refrigerant recharge.
At the end of the day, your best choice is going to be reaching out to a professional AC technician for air conditioner repair service in Coral Springs. A professional is going to be able to diagnose the cause of the issue and get it addressed in a timely manner, saving your system and your comfort in the process.
If your AC is getting icy, contact Envirotech Air Quality Services for assistance.
