Do you know what does it mean when your air conditioner freezes up? If not, then do not worry because this post is going to enlighten you. Some people think it is good if an AC is freezing since it will give off cold air. But in actuality, it is the opposite.
Air conditioners work by the systematic control of airflow, pressure, and temperature. An imbalance in any of these can lead to the malfunction of the unit.
The Freon system that is making the air cold may overclock, which causes it to freeze, which will not make the room colder. In fact, if the AC is frozen, it will blow warm air. Or worse, it won’t blow any air at all.
How Does An Air Conditioner Make The Air Colder?
The most important component of an air conditioner is its coil that is filled with refrigerant. If you turn your unit on, the refrigerant needs warm air. This will cool the air as well as keep its coils warm so that it will not freeze.
The indoor coils will remove it inside your house and then transfer it towards the outdoor coil using the refrigerant. In this process, the heat is being exhausted outside.
This is the reason why the outdoor unit blows hot air which is actually hotter as compared to the outdoor temperature. That is because the AC system pulls the heat out of the air indoors and transfer it outside.
This is done as the system manipulated pressure through its refrigerant circuit. However, if no warm air is being blown to the coils or the pressure has gone wrong in the coils, it will end up freezing.
So if the air conditioner freezes up, it is typically related to its pressure, airflow, or both.
How Moisture Affects The AC Unit?
If the air in the room is extremely humid, it can make freezing even worse. When the ice begins forming onto the coils and insulates it with the coil, the warm air can hardly reach the coils.
The higher the humidity of the room, the greater the ice buildup. It will cover the interior of the air conditioner and even crawl up to its copper pipes all the way to its compressor outdoors.
What Does It Mean When The Air Conditioner Freezes Up?
So, what does it mean when your air conditioner freezes up?
Below are the common things that could lead to the freezing of your air conditioner unit.
#1. Insufficient airflow
Commonly, your unit freezes up because it lacks sufficient airflow. However, numerous malfunctions may have caused this to happens, including in the air intake or its blower motor.
This would mean that the warm air is hindered from flowing to the coils as the compressor runs to freeze up the ac unit. If not remedied, this issue will become worse over time.
#2. Collapsed duct
Thanks to the ducts, since it allows the air to circulate through your house. However, if this is blocked by something, the air will not flow correctly.
Although the rest works just fine, collapsed air ducts can also cause the ac to freeze since the warm air needed to keep the coils at their optimal temperature is not enough.
#3. Blower motor malfunction
A blower motor greatly matters in an air conditioning system. If either the run capacitator of the blower motor or the motor itself stops blowing, the air will also stop flowing onto the coils quickly.
Once the air stops blowing, the coils of the unit will start to freeze. You will know that your blower motor malfunction because you can usually hear a rattling sound coming from your air conditioner.
#4. Low voltage
In some cases, it could mean that the unit is not powered sufficiently. For example, air conditioners need electricity for their components to run, making them one of the major contributors to your power bill.
If the compressor is running yet the blower or fan motor has insufficient power, it can also lead to freezing.
#5. Low on Freon
An air conditioner needs a certain amount of refrigerant to manage pressure. The compressor compresses the refrigerant as it releases the warm air that is collected.
That heat will convert the refrigerant, which is in the form of liquid, into gas. This will heat up and drop pressure. Then, the pressure will turn it back into its liquid form and pump it onto the unit’s blower fan towards the house.
But if the refrigerant is not enough, it will flash it too quickly since the pressure is lacking. During that time, moisture will be condensed on the coils, thereby causing them to freeze.
The more this happens, the more ice will form until the entire unit is filled. As mentioned earlier, it might also creep towards the copper pipes. With that being said, you must maintain the right refrigerant level in the ac.
It’s A Wrap!
What does it mean when your air conditioner freezes up? Now, you know that it can mean different things. In any case, it is best to consult a professional.