Frozen Air Conditioning – Tips To Prevent AC Freezing
Frozen Air Conditioning, A Common Preventable Arizona Cooling Issue
Frozen air conditioning on a 97+ degree Mesa Monday is not merely unfortunate; it is downright miserable. Humidity hangs at 22-percent, and the average Mesa, AZ wind factor creeps in at less than 5-mph. Experiencing summertime Arizona without functional in-home cooling establishes a new concept of emergency necessities.
First signs of a frozen heat pump or a frozen A/C condensing system typically include inadequate airflow through your home registers. An air conditioning system covered in ice concludes the investigation. An iced-over evaporator coil cannot effectively transfer inside heat into the outside air.
Although the Mesa homeowner can handle some solutions to a frozen cooling system, others will demand the services of a Mesa A/C repair center. The following pointers will help you resolve your frozen air conditioning issues.
Frozen Cooling System Mesa – Three Root Causes
1) Inadequate Air Flow
Checking your HVAC air filter is A/C 101 repair school priority. Inadequate airflow upsets the balanced operation of your heating and cooling system. The evaporator coil surfaces must be free of dirt buildup, both near and far. Although a bit easier to fix, a dirty air filter in the return vent creates the same cooling hindrance as dirt build-up directly on the coil. If it restricts functional breathing of the equipment, a frozen heat pump or frozen air conditioning system becomes the natural result.
2) Temperature Management
Even the best of the best heating and cooling equipment can be overworked. For the most efficient and reliable performance, set your thermostats to 73-74 degrees. This should prevent your air conditioning from running continuously. If you have a programmable thermostat, consider setting your nighttime requirements at 74-75. The higher range will enable your system to gain some well-needed time off.
While working with the thermostat, you may notice faulty readings. In this event, unless you are a skilled electrician and HVAC technician, call your ACH tech for assistance.
3) Insufficient Refrigerant
Low refrigerant is a common A/C and heat pump problem that should not be permitted to continue. Low levels of refrigerant sometimes cause the coil to become too cold. This freezes and accumulates the moisture in the air. In most events, homeowners lack the skill to test, repair or recharge an air conditioning system that is loosing refrigerant. So just remember this primary rule: Quality Air Conditioning technicians repair as well as recharge.
Fixing Cooling Problems Related To Air Conditioning Freeze Up
Sometimes the problem is simple and sometimes the problem is complex. Prior to calling in any outside help, investigate the basic causes and seek your own remedy. Use the following process of problem-elimination:
Open all registers completely and make sure furniture or draperies are not blocking them.
a) Check fuses to confirm that the unit is receiving power
b) From the thermostat, set the blower fan to manual to confirm blower operation
c) Examine, clean and/or replace the system air filters
d) Examine and open the registers
e) Ensure that neither the registers or the return vent are blocked by draperies or furniture
f) Trip the fuses and wait several hours for the system to thaw out
g) If the problem persists, contact American Cooling and Heating for 24/7 Mesa A/C repair services.
Substandard Cooling Equipment Maintenance Squanders Energy
Reports from the Environmental Protection Agency, disclose that a 30% increase in static pressure across the coil in your air conditioning system can spawn a $200 per 10,000 cfm swell in the price of operating your HVAC equipment. The expenditure does not include the outlay for clean up of drain pans, air ducts or dirty A/C oils.
But wait, there is more: Continued operation of a frozen air-conditioning system not only fritters away costly energy, it can also result in addition damage to your A/C unit. Among other key points of service, the American Cooling and Heating A/C and Heat Pump maintenance plan examines HVAC equipment in Mesa, Phoenix and other regional Arizona communities for compliance with:
- Recommended airflow by measurement
- Correct refrigerant measurements
- Manufacturer installation specifications
- National and local installation codes
- National and local electrical standards
- AND More.