When you see ice, in most cases you’ll relate it to a chilly environment or even a cold food, like ice cream. But what about when you see ice in a situation when it feels like your home couldn’t get much hotter?
What we are getting at is the idea of seeing ice building up on your air conditioner while your home is still too warm. It seems counterintuitive. But what it is, is a sign that something is seriously wrong with your air conditioner.
Read on to learn what causes an icy AC and why it requires expert AC repairs in Fresno, CA.
What Ice Actually Means
When ice starts to collect in your air conditioner it is actually an indicator that your system needs repairs. Ice is created when your system’s refrigerant supply can’t absorb heat the way it is supposed to. This can be caused by more than one problem with your AC but at the end of the day it does mean that you need repairs.
The Cause of an Icy AC
As we mentioned there is more than one issue that can lead to ice collecting in your air conditioner. Here are some of the core causes of this issue that your technician may need to fix.
- A refrigerant leak: Refrigerant isn’t a fuel. It is a heat transfer medium that cycles through a closed-loop system and it helps to absorb and remove heat from the air in your home. This substance is vital to the cooling process. If a refrigerant leak occurs, it can’t absorb heat as effectively. This can lead to the refrigerant actually super-cooling the air around the evaporator coil, eventually causing ice build-up.
- Reduced airflow into the system: How is your air filter looking lately? If you haven’t checked it in a while, now may be a good time to do so. If your filter is jam-packed with dust and debris, it is going to seriously reduce the amount of hot air that ca enter your AC to be cooled, leading to ice buildup and short cycling.
- Short cycling: This is a tricky one. Short cycling can both be a cause for ice build-up on an AC and a warning indicator that ice is collecting in the system. This term refers to when your AC has shortened or interrupted cooling cycles, usually turning off after only a brief number of minutes instead of running for a full 15-minute cycle.
If there is ice building up on your system’s evaporator coil, you will want to have an expert technician address it as soon as they can. Ice isn’t a good sign. And it can easily lead to a full system breakdown if it isn’t addressed by a professional.
If you notice ice in your air conditioner or any of the other issues we’ve listed above, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for expert service to face the problem head on./contact/send-message
We strive to provide honest answers and solutions to the problems our customers experience while remaining highly competitive in price, and offer the fastest turnaround you can find! Schedule your AC repairs with Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning today.