It happens to many homeowners – the first hot day of the season and the air conditioner doesn’t work. A quick look and you discover ice on the evaporator coil. The problem is more common than you may think, but it doesn’t have to happen to you. The keys are to make sure you have good airflow and don’t turn your AC on too early.
Your air conditioner cools your home by moving heat energy from inside your home to the outside by way of refrigerant running through the evaporator coil. Heat is absorbed inside and expelled outside. The refrigerant must have heat to absorb from the interior or the refrigerant will get too cold, causing condensation on the line, which will then freeze. Keeping the system running properly means ensuring warm air is reaching the evaporator coil.
Why did my evaporator coil freeze?
There are multiple reasons for a frozen evaporator coil in Cuyahoga Falls, Akron, and the surrounding area.
- It may be too cold to run your AC – Daytime temperatures during a Northeast Ohio spring may be warm enough to require air conditioning, but if nighttime temperatures drop too low, there simply isn’t enough heat to absorb inside before the refrigerant returns to the cold outside. Temps don’t have to be near freezing to freeze the excess condensation – the too-cold refrigerant will cause the ice buildup.
- There may be dirt on the coils or the air filter – A dirty air filter or grime on the evaporator coil will block airflow from reaching the coil, preventing the heat absorption needed for the system to work.
- Supply vents or return air vents in your home may be blocked – Open airflow is crucial to your AC working properly. If you have closed vents in rooms you don’t often use, or if you have blocked return air vents with furniture, your AC system will struggle to get enough heat to the evaporator coil for efficient operation.
- Your refrigerant may be low – The evaporator coil is a closed system, so if your refrigerant is low, it is because you have a leak that must be repaired by an HVAC technician.
What you should do
If you have discovered your evaporator coil is frozen, don’t try to break or chip the ice off, as you could damage the line. Turn your AC off, turn on the fan to create maximum airflow, and let the coil thaw on its own.
Then, call Falls Heating & Cooling for a thorough inspection of your Air Conditioning system. Once your evaporator coil is thawed, your AC may work if you turn it back on, but if you do not correct the cause, it will freeze again, possibly causing damage to your HVAC system.
Falls Heating recommends the following to avoid evaporator coil freeze-up:
- Change your air filter regularly.
- Don’t use your AC at night if temps are dropping below 60 degrees.
- Consider a zone heating system for your home instead of closing vents in unused rooms.
- Schedule an AC checkup each spring to ensure the system is clean and there are no leaks.
Schedule your spring AC inspection in Cuyahoga Falls today by calling Falls Heating. Click here for information about all of Falls Heating’s services.