Your air conditioner freezing up can cause you to get uncomfortable quickly. Did you know it is the evaporator coil that freezes up? The purpose of the evaporator coil is to draw the heat out from inside of the home. As a homeowner, it is normal to want to know more about why your air conditioner's evaporator coil is freezing and what you can do about it.
Airflow is Restricted
The air that is going over the evaporator coil can become reduced for several reasons. When this happens, the coil doesn't have as much heat to absorb from the home and it can get so cold it freezes. Some things that can restrict air flow include the vents being closed off, a dirty air filter or evaporator coil, or blocked return grills.
You need to change the air filter once a month to keep the air flowing well. If your evaporator coil is dirty, you'll need an expert to come in and clean it up for you. Avoid closing vents in the rooms you aren't using because it will restrict the airflow and cause the freeze. If you have furniture or anything over the vents, remove it to prevent an issue.
It's Something with the Refrigerant
The refrigerant is the part of your unit that takes the heat that's floating around inside the house and brings it to the outside. Sometimes, it can get low, and then the coils will get too cold because the heat it normally brings out isn't traveling over them anymore. The most common reason your air conditioner is low on refrigerant is because there's a leak due to a hole that's been worn over time. There could also be an actual kink in the refrigerant line that is blocking it from getting through.
If you are running the air conditioner at a really low temperature, then the refrigeration might drop as well. Be mindful of how low you let the temperature go to avoid your evaporator coil freezing. It's a good idea to have your air conditioning inspected by an expert from time to time to make sure there aren't any leaks and the level of refrigerant is correct.
You can thaw your air conditioning out by turning off the thermostat and turning on your fan which will start to warm up the coils. It will take several hours for your unit to defrost. If you don't want to wait then you can call a professional to come out to thaw it and see what the issue is.
