Your air conditioner can be an excellent option to help you keep your home cool and comfortable when the summer gets hot. It is important that it works well for a long time to ensure that you get the cool air that you desire. When the evaporator coil freezes over, you will find that you will not be able to get the cool air that you want, and you must fix the problem before it ruins the whole air conditioner unit. But what are some of the things that cause the evaporator coil to freeze?
There are different things that can cause an evaporator coil to freeze up. According to my favorite local HVAC company that specializes in AC repair in Phoenix (https://americanhomewater.com/ac-repair-phoenix/) some of the most common causes include lack of airflow, a dirty air filter, dirty evaporator coils, problems with the refrigerant, an outdoor temperature that is too low, or a clogged drainpipe. Take a look into these different problems to see whether fixing them will help you to unfreeze the evaporator coil so your air conditioner unit will last a long time.
Your air conditioner will need to have some maintenance to make sure that it will last a long time. Let’s take a closer look at the evaporator coil and some of the reasons that it is freezing over on you.
What Causes Evaporator Coil to Freeze Over?
Your evaporator coil is a small part of your air conditioner, but when it does not work, you will quickly notice. The most common issue with the evaporator coil is that it will freeze over. There are different things that can cause the evaporator coil on your air conditioner to freeze up. Some of the most common reasons include:
Lack of Airflow
The evaporator coil is going to work because it absorbs heat out of the air. But if this coil does not get enough heat to absorb, then it is possible the condensation on the coils will freeze up. Low airflow can be caused by many problems in the unit itself, such as air filters that are dirty, a blower fan that doesn’t function well, or damage to the ductwork.
Dirty Air Filter
It is important to clean out the air filter to make sure that it does not cause problems. When the air filter gets dirty, it is going to prevent the evaporator coil from getting enough heat out of the air to function well. In addition, the dirty air filter will spread dirt around the home and the unit, clogging up the system, so it is not able to work well.
Dirty Evaporator Coils
When the evaporator coils collect too much debris and dirt, the heat exchange process is not going to happen the way that it should. Dirty coils won’t be able to work at all because there is something in the way of them. This can cause the condensation that they do collect to become too cold and even freeze along the way.
Refrigerant Problems
When you have a low amount of refrigerant in the air conditioner, it can lead to the evaporator coils becoming frozen. This is a bad thing because it can make the unit work too hard, and then the condensation on the coils will begin to freeze. Keep in mind that these units will work on a closed system. This means that the refrigerant is not just going to run out. If you have low refrigerant, the problem is either insufficient charging of the unit, or there is a leak within the system somewhere.
Is the temperature outside too Low?
It is possible for the evaporator coil to freeze if the air temperature outside of the home is too low. Since the coils are supposed to absorb some of the heat out of the air, lack of heat will allow the condensation on the coils to freeze over as well.
Clogged Drainpipe
Condensation is going to naturally form on the coil as part of the way that this part is going to function. If the drainpipe ends up being clogged or hindered for some reason, it is possible that too much condensation is going to develop on the coils. This is enough to cause them to freeze.
Checking the Evaporator Coil to Help it Not Freeze
As your air conditioner gets older, it is possible that it will have parts that do not work as well as you would like. The evaporator coil is a small part, but it helps to keep the whole room cool. You need to check that all of the other components are working well and that you keep them clean and free of debris. When this happens, you will be able to prevent the freezing and can ensure that your whole air conditioner unit is able to keep you cool the whole time.