If you notice ice buildup on your air conditioner, you can protect your AC by turning your system off, or switching the unit to a fan-only setting. Using the fan-only option will help the evaporator coils dry off faster.
The only way to remove ice from your air conditioner is to shut it off and allow the ice time to melt. It should take about 24 hours for the ice to melt, but it could take longer if your unit is covered in a solid block of ice.
While the ice is melting, you’ll want to keep an eye on your condensate drip pan and drain. You do not want the pan to overflow and cause water damage. The condensate drain tube should be evacuating to a floor drain.
When your air conditioner is continually running, water collects on your AC’s evaporator coils. The water is supposed to drip off the coils and dry, however if the water stays on the cold coils for too long it will turn into ice. While your air conditioner runs at full capacity, moisture contained in the air can rapidly freeze and condense on the grill, cooling coils, condensate lines and other parts. When this occurs, you may notice that your air conditioner is only blowing warm air.
What Causes Ice to Buildup on Your AC Unit
1. Poor Airflow
- Check to see whether dirt or debris is blocking airflow around the outside unit. There should be about 2 feet of space between the condenser and plants and outside storage.
- Check and replace your air filters. Clogged air filters can cause the unit to work harder to produce the same level of comfort.
- The evaporator fan may be spinning slowly or not at all. In either case, the fan motor will need to be serviced or replaced.
Your AC is designed to work with a specific balance of airflow and pressure. Just the right amount of water has to collect on the fins, for the perfect amount of air to pass over it, so the drops drip just right into the condensation drip pan. One slight change to this equation, such as less air passing over the fins because less air can get through a clogged filter, can completely throw off your AC’s balance. When that happens, the water droplets hang out on the metal for a little bit too long and turn into frost and ice.
2. Low Refrigerant Levels
A common sign that this is your problem is that your air conditioner’s refrigerant line is covered in ice.
During normal operation of your AC system, your condenser holds the refrigerant as a gas. Your compressor makes this refrigerant very hot, turning the gas into a liquid. When anything is extremely hot, it also has a high pressure. So, your AC system shoots this high-pressure liquid hot refrigerant towards your house. Before the hot liquid refrigerant reaches the inside part of your AC system, it’s pushed through a special device that makes it incredibly cold, very quickly.
When refrigerant levels are too low, that means that the pressure inside of the tubes the refrigerant travels through will also be too low. When the pressure is low, the refrigerant is colder than usual when it gets to the cooling stage just before being run through your evaporator coils. This makes the evaporator coils extra cold and can cause the water to freeze.
A qualified HVAC technician can check the refrigerant level and add more refrigerant if necessary. It is important to have the entire AC system checked for leaks to prevent a loss of refrigerant in the future.
3. Fan Problems
Fans can get dinged or worn out through normal use and operation. Sometimes a large object travels through your system and it can knock the AC fan out of balance, or the pad the condenser sits upon may become unlevel disrupting the fans proper motion.
A qualified HVAC technician will be able to tell you if your fan is running properly, and get it back to spinning level.
4. Dirty Evaporative Coils
Your air filter filters all kinds of stuff out of your home’s air; such as hair, pet dander, dust, dirt and mold. But your filter doesn’t catch everything, so over time the evaporator coils inside your system can become caked in layers of grime. This in turn will reduce the airflow in your system.
A qualified HVAC technician will be able to tell you if your evaporative coils are dirty and clean it to restore proper function.
5. Setting the Thermostat Temperature Too Low
Most people are comfortable at 72-75 degrees. Even when the temperature outside isn’t at heatwave levels, we recommend that you don’t lower the AC’s setting below 68 degrees. We suggest that you set the thermostat and forget it, unless you are going to be away from home for an extended period of time, then set it at (80-85 degrees)
Do not turn the AC off during the day, and then turn it on when you get home and expect the system to cool down your entire home in a matter of minutes. A colder temperature setting does not cool your home faster.
If your system seems to be operating normally, and still does not cool your home to the temperature that is set, there may be other factors affecting the ambient temperature. Humidity levels may be too high, the thermostat may be registering a different temperature than the set temperature, radiant heat from the sun may be affecting your ambient temperature, or your system simply needs maintenance or replacement.
