Goettl Air conditioning unit

What Does Ice on an Air Conditioner Mean?

thermostat-going-redIn certain parts of the country, there is still snow on the ground (or even in the forecast!). In other parts of the country, signs of warmer weather are becoming more apparent, though the real hot temperatures are still a ways off. Here in Arizona, though, we’re already seeing temperatures in the upper 70’s, or even the mid to high 80’s!. Our air conditioning systems often get a much earlier start than those in other areas, which is exactly why it is so important that you have yours tuned up and ready for action sooner rather than later.

Now, routine air conditioning maintenance is definitely the best way to keep your AC up and running properly. The truth of the matter, though, is that even the best air conditioners that are the most diligently maintained are not going to function 100% reliably. No mechanical system will. The best thing to do is to learn the warning signs of problems, so that you can schedule prompt air conditioning repairs. One issue that you may encounter is ice building up on your system.

Ice on the Evaporator Coil

You may not have much cause for checking in on your evaporator coil. However, it is actually very beneficial to do so every now and then. You may not feel comfortable cleaning your evaporator coil on your own — which is something that we are happy to do for you — but peeking into that air handler from time to time means that you can catch signs of icing over early on.

Your evaporator coil is the point at which refrigerant is evaporated, hence the name. The evaporation of your refrigerant allows for the removal of heat from the air within your home. If there is ice on your evaporator coil, then it will impede this process, causing your system to overwork itself in trying to cool your home. That is why it’s a problem — but what causes the icing?

If it is your evaporator coil that’s iced over, it could be something as simple as a dirty air filter. You could also have blower fan problems. How does  this cause icing? By restricting airflow. If there is not enough hot air moving over the evaporator coil, then the coil can get too cold. When that happens, the condensation that collects 0n the coil before being drained down the condensate drain/pan assembly can freeze over. The thicker the ice gets, the more insulated the coil, so this is something of a self-perpetuating problem.

BONUS PRO-TIP!

Air conditioners do not use water in their operation (other than swamp coolers, which don’t use a refrigerant cycle). If you have a central AC or heat pump, and see water surrounding your indoor unit, it could be ice melting off of your evaporator coil.

Ice on the Condenser Unit/Refrigerant Lines

If you have ice on your outdoor unit, you’d probably be surprised considering just how hot the air outside is. Obviously, this is an abnormality. Ice on the outdoor unit, along with frost or ice on the refrigerant line themselves, will generally indicate a refrigerant leak. Basically, having too little refrigerant in the system is going to lead to issues with the heat transfer process, which can cause this icing. You may also have a refrigerant leak if your evaporator coil is iced over, though it’s not as immediately obvious and would likely be accompanied by these other points icing over.

Allowing your system to run when it’s icing over can lead to serious strain on your AC, particularly on your compressor. With weather as hot as ours, that is just inviting catastrophe to your system. Don’t let your system overheat and burn out. Contact us to have the problem resolved immediately.

Goettl Air Conditioning is here for all of your air conditioning service needs.

Testimonials

What Our Customers Say About Us

Arthur FortesArthur Fortes
17:47 06 Dec 23
Michael was great and explained everything clearly!!
Lawrence PeteLawrence Pete
17:38 06 Dec 23
Very thorough performing service give customers more options to decide...no pressure he worked on the HVAC system
B SimonB Simon
17:11 06 Dec 23
Ralph. Came out on time. Very professional, knowledgeable. Did excellent work
Jennifer WebbJennifer Webb
23:48 05 Dec 23
Friendly fast service. Matthew was very pleasant, did a systems check and showed and explained everything that was needed with suggestions and prices.
Denise TamezDenise Tamez
23:03 05 Dec 23
Ralph did an excellent job! Thank you for the wonderful service!
Ernest RodriguezErnest Rodriguez
18:23 04 Dec 23
Carl JacksonCarl Jackson
15:00 04 Dec 23
The work was very professional & neat , I was very surprised about the quality of workmanship. The crew was very knowledgeable & very respectful while working. I would recommend Goettl plumbing to anyone with the great job they have done….
Cheryl SkatesCheryl Skates
22:54 03 Dec 23
Did a great job servicing are unit. Answered all our questions.
Diane WainnerrDiane Wainnerr
01:32 03 Dec 23
I was very pleased with Goettl Plumbing/AC company . Joseph came out and was excellent at explaining the issues that were going on with our pipes & then did a great job fixing the issues. Thanks, Goettl!
Rafiu BabatundeRafiu Babatunde
18:22 28 Nov 23
Catherine BowlesCatherine Bowles
17:21 28 Nov 23
was very helpful and professional 👏
Rachel RamosRachel Ramos
16:55 28 Nov 23
Tyler Leija was very thorough and explained everything carefully about our plumbing issues. I’m glad we called Goettl.. Thank You!
G force9299G force9299
15:32 28 Nov 23
William and Peter were amazing! Although Peter is in training, you would not have known if he didn't tell you. Services provided were top notch! Thank you!!!
Linda ClaytonLinda Clayton
22:25 25 Nov 23
Frank M is fabulous! Great service!Sam is wonderful. I would like them to send him every time. Great service. On time. Expert knowledge. Highly recommend!
Scott MillerScott Miller
00:41 25 Nov 23
Great job and fast response. Tyler did a great job.
J NevilJ Nevil
00:34 25 Nov 23
Roger came out on Thanksgiving Day to fix our unit. Turns out, our home builder completely shorted us on the amount of blown-in attic insulation (which you think a home inspector would have caught) and also our unit is too small for our house which is 4 years old. Roger took the time to explain all of this to us in detail and got our unit up and running. Thank you Roger!
Rosalyn DouglasRosalyn Douglas
22:37 24 Nov 23
Michael was very professional and polite. Got the job done in a timely manner installing the sensors.
Michael SchmidtMichael Schmidt
22:10 24 Nov 23
Joseph was professional, friendly, and very thorough. He answered all of our questions and gave us a detailed explanation of what the problem was and why it occurs.
Joel RuizJoel Ruiz
16:02 20 Nov 23
Ralph did a great job, was on time and explained everything very clearly.
Sunshines BuggySunshines Buggy
01:26 20 Nov 23
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