Restricted Airflow In Your Air Conditioner Could Cause Your AC To Get Icy

Ice on your air conditioner is a surprising sight, but it might also be alarming. You might assume there is a problem with the refrigerant and you're facing expensive repairs. While a refrigerant leak can cause your AC to ice over, other things could be to blame too. Dirty coils or low airflow might be the reason for the ice. Here are problems that lead to low airflow and ice on your AC equipment.

Problems In The Ducts

If one or more ducts are blocked or if you have too many vents closed, that could reduce airflow enough to cause your air conditioner to get icy. Flexible ducts that collapse also reduce airflow and cause problems with your AC. If you've recently had a new HVAC installed but kept the old ducts, the size of the new equipment and your ducts might be mismatched and causing an airflow problem.

An air conditioning repair professional can take a look at your ducts to determine if they're the reason for ice formation and what has to be done to correct the problem.

A Filter Coated With Dust

When you see ice on your air conditioner, check the filter for dust clogs. By changing the filter, you might fix the problem yourself and save on a service call. Once the filter is changed, switch the AC to fan mode so the ice will melt faster or just shut the AC off. Once the ice is melted, test your air conditioner. If ice starts to form again, call an air conditioning repair service for assistance.

An Issue With The Blower

The blower moves air across the refrigerant coils and through the ducts. If the blower doesn't put out enough air, the AC could freeze over. The problem might be with the blower fan. If it's coated in dust, it might not create enough air. The problem could also be with the motor that turns the fan. If the attached capacitor is bad, the motor won't get all the power it needs. The blower might also be burned out and not working properly.

The air conditioning repair technician can test the motor to see if parts are bad. The repairperson might need to replace the capacitor or the wiring. The motor itself might even need to be replaced if it's gone bad. If the problem is in the blower, it might be necessary to clean it thoroughly with a brush to get rid of dust and grime.

Determining the cause of ice on your air conditioner requires some troubleshooting on the part of the repair technician. However, the technician can't do much about the problem when ice covers the unit.

When you see ice, call an air conditioning repair service right away and let them know your problem. They might instruct you to shut down the AC so no harm comes to the equipment and so the ice melts while you wait on the repair technician to arrive.

Share