Fix A Frozen Coil In Your Air Conditioner
Your air conditioner is crucial to your family’s comfort in the hot, humid North Carolina heat. If your AC starts to act up, you might just be able to solve the problem yourself, before having to contact a professional HVAC company. Go to your indoor air handler unit and open it up to look at the evaporator coil. If ice is covering the coil, here’s what to do next:
What causes an evaporator coil to freeze?
The following can cause an evaporator coil to freeze:
- Your air filter is clogged or dirty.
- Your evaporator coil is dirty.
- Your AC unit’s refrigerant level is low.
To prevent your evaporator coil from freezing, it is important to have your air conditioning system serviced on a regular basis to ensure that dust and dirt do not build up inside of it. To get your AC unit repaired or on a service plan, call us today.
How do you unfreeze an evaporator coil?
To unfreeze an evaporator coil, you can:
- Shut off your AC unit for a day to allow it to dethaw.
- Use a blow dryer to dethaw it.
- Set your AC unit on the fan setting to help it dethaw.
If you try these methods and you are still unable to get your evaporator coil to dethaw, you should have an experienced HVAC technician repair it for you. To get your AC unit repaired, contact us today.
How do I know if my evaporator coil is frozen?
To know if your evaporator coil is frozen, you should keep an eye out for the following:
- Water leaks from your AC unit.
- Your AC unit runs for long periods of time.
- Your AC unit is unable to cool effectively.
If your AC unit’s evaporator coil is frozen, it can cause your compressor and other parts of your AC unit to work harder and break down, which is why you should have the issue addressed right away. To get your AC unit repaired, give us a call today.
1. Turn Your AC System Completely Off. Shut down the system at your thermostat. This prevents your AC unit from being damaged even further.
2. Activate The System’s Fan. You should be able to set your system to a “fan only” function. When the fan runs, it will push air across the frozen evaporator coil so that the ice buildup will melt away faster.
3. Carefully Inspect The Blower. Even a slight amount of dirt or grime on the blower fan can affect its ability to push warm air onto the evaporator coil. If it appears particularly dirty, it needs to be cleaned by a qualified AC technician.
4. Take A Look At The Air Filter. A filter inundated with dirt and debris can mean bad air flow. Bad air flow can lead to the evaporator coil becoming frozen. If it is dirty, replacing it with a clean one might fix the problem.
5. Test Your AC After The Ice Melts. If all the ice has melted away and you’re confident that your troubleshooting has solved the issue, bring your AC back to normal operating temperature. Make sure to look at the evaporator coil regularly. If it continues to freeze, you will need to schedule service from a professional HVAC technician for repairs.
Contact Comfort First For Fast, Professional AC Repairs
Call Comfort First at 800-279-4822 if your evaporator coil is causing you problems, or if you have any other problems with your air conditioning. We offer 24/7 emergency repair services so you won’t have to wait in discomfort for normal business hours. Our expert technicians will work quickly to figure out the problem and get you the repairs you need for reliable cooling throughout the warm season.
