Simple Steps to Fix a Frozen Air Conditioner

Does the air coming from your supply registers abruptly feel not cold enough? Check the indoor portion of your air conditioner. This component is located inside your furnace or air handler, if you use a heat pump. If there’s water leaking onto the floor, there might be crystals on the evaporator coil. The AC coil inside the equipment may have frozen. You’ll need to defrost it before it can cool your house again. 

Here’s the steps you should take. If you can’t get the coil back to normal, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning is here to assist you with air conditioning repair in Fort Lauderdale backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.* 

Step 1: Set the Air Conditioning to Off and the Blower On 

To get started—set the thermostat from “cool” to “off.” This halts chilly refrigerant from moving to the outdoor compressor, which could damage it and lead to a costly repair. 

After that, adjust the fan from “auto” to “on.” This makes heated airflow over the crystallized coils to force them to thaw faster. Make sure to set the cooling mode to “off” so the air conditioner doesn’t start a cooling cycle. 

It might take not more than an hour or most of the day for the ice to melt, depending on the amount of the ice. While you’re waiting, check the condensate pan under the AC unit. If the drain line is clogged, it may overflow as the ice melts, possibly resulting in water damage. 

Step 2: Diagnose the Trouble 

Low airflow is a primary cause for an AC to frost over. Here’s how to figure out the problem: 

• Inspect the filter. Low airflow through a filthy filter could be the issue. Look at and change the filter once a month or once you notice a layer of dust. 
• Open any closed supply vents. Your house’s supply registers should stay open all the time. Closing vents limits airflow over the evaporator coil, which could lead it to freeze. 
• Check for blocked return vents. These typically don’t come with shiftable louvers, but furniture, rugs or curtains can still block them. 
• Insufficient refrigerant: While airflow restrictions are the most frequent culprit, your system may also not have enough refrigerant. Depending on when it was replaced, it may use Freon®. Low refrigerant necessitates pro support from a certified HVAC tech. H2: Step 3: Contact an HVAC Expert at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning 

If poor airflow doesn’t seem to be the problem, then another issue is leading your AC freeze. If this is the case, simply letting it melt won’t take care of the issue. The evaporator coil is likely to keep freezing unless you take care of the root problem. Contact an HVAC technician to address problems with your air conditioner, which can include: 

• Refrigerant leak: AC units continuously use refrigerant, so it shouldn’t get used up. Insufficient refrigerant is a sign of a leak somewhere. Only a technician can pinpoint the leak, repair it, and recharge the air conditioner to the correct concentration. 
• Grimy evaporator coil: If dust accumulates on the coil, air can’t flow over it, and it’s apt to freeze. 
• Broken blower: A broken motor or unbalanced fan might prevent airflow over the evaporator coil. 

The next time your AC freezes up, contact the ACE-certified techs at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning to take care of the situation. We have lots of experience helping homeowners troubleshoot their air conditioners, and we’re confident we can get things running again in no time. Contact us at 954-736-4314 to get air conditioning repair in Fort Lauderdale with us right away.