Why Is My Air Conditioner Freezing Up??

As the temperatures begin to rise in Dumas, TX, your air conditioner will be running more often. If your system seems to be running continuously then you might have an issue. If you do a visual check and see that there is ice on the outdoor unit or inside on your coil then there is definitely a problem.  A system freezing up is a symptom of a problem and requires a professional to come out and diagnose the cause. Some of the underlying causes are filters, failing parts, air supply, and refrigerant.

Filters

A dirty filter can cause your system to freeze up due to the lack of airflow. When a filter is clogged with dirt, pet hair, or other debris it means that air can’t get through to the system. When the air can’t get through to the system then it can’t cool your house properly. Imagine running for a very long period of time. As you exert yourself more you require more oxygen. It’s the same idea for your air conditioner. P.S. we sell filters in our store.

Return Air

Just like with a dirty filter, if your return air or your air intake is too small then your system isn’t getting enough air. Your air conditioning unit needs a certain amount of air flow to work properly, and the bigger the unit the more air it needs. So, if your air intake is too small than it won’t be able to cool properly, causing your AC to run and run and run and eventually freeze up.

Refrigerant

An air conditioning unit that is leaking refrigerant can cause it to freeze up as well.  If you start to notice your air conditioner running more often and you don’t have a dirty or clogged filter and it hasn’t had issues in the past with keeping up, then it probably has a leak somewhere in the system. A trained technician would be able to come out and diagnose the issue and then help to fix it. By the way, if you have an older system that is running on the old refrigerant, R-22, then you might want to consider replacing it with a higher efficiency unit that contains R-410a. R-22 has been in a phase out process due to the Montreal Protocol. For more information, check out this https://tinyurl.com/zz7p3a6.

If your unit is freezing up, we highly suggest you turn it off to prevent damaging it. You can then give Winkelman Heating & Air Conditioning  a call if you have any questions or need help. We can get you scheduled with one of our professionally trained technicians. Give us a call at 806-935-6327.