Air Conditioner Pipes Icing Up
Is your home air conditioning unit suddenly not cooling and do you see ice on your outdoor pipes? Finding ice on your air conditioner pipes is a sure sign that you have air conditioning problems and most likely need air conditioning repair. Below is a list of things to do to see if you can fix it yourself or if you need to call an experienced Air Conditioning Repair Technician in your area.
Check to be sure nothing is blocking the return vent. Blocked vents or dirty filters prevent air flow across the evaporator coil. The refrigerant entering your evaporator coil can be below freezing (320F) and the moisture or humidity in the air will frost up the evaporator coil decreasing the air flow even further.- Open all your supply registers . Just as making sure the return is not blocked, making sure all the supply registers are open also improves the air flow. Closed vents can slow the air flow and prevent the refrigerator from absorbing the indoor heat. If this prevents the refrigerant from getting above freezing, then your pipes may freeze up.
- Turn your unit off and the fan switched to “ON”. In the event your pipes are frozen, turn the air conditioner off and move the fan switch from AUTO to ON. What you are doing is blowing warm house air across the frozen coil in an attempt to defrost the coils. Leave the system running for approximately 2 hours before turning the air conditioner back on. Keep an eye on the condensate drain to make sure the condensation from the thawing process is flowing outside and not building up in the drain pan. An over filled drain pain will cause serious water damage to your home.
If you have done all the things recommended above and find you still have air conditioning problems or the air conditioner ice on the pipes are continuing to build up. Call an experienced air conditioning repair professional.
Provide them with the information and steps you have taken. This will help them be prepared before they arrive at your home and best equipped to repair your air conditioning unit.
If you are in the Raleigh, Cary, Holly Springs, Apex, Garner, Wake or Durham area – Call Alexander Services. We will provide a Free Diagnostics with any repair of $100.00 or more. Call us at (919) 886-4822
