Educational Articles & Latest News
Why Is There Ice on My AC?
When the heat of summer is at its worst around here, and that is really saying something, you want your AC to be firing on all cylinders. In fact, you want your AC cooling your home so effectively that you may think that seeing ice develop on it is a good thing. After all, if the system is able to generate ice even when it is this hot out, it must really be cranking, right? Well, that may be true of an ice maker or a freezer, but your air conditioner in Paradise, NV is neither of these.
The fact of the matter is that, deceivingly, ice on your air conditioning system is a bad thing. Heat pumps are actually expected to ice up from time to time, and they have a defrost cycle to overcome the issue. A traditional split central AC should never develop ice, though. If you notice that your air conditioner is freezing up, there are a few things that you can check on your own. However, it could also be a sign of serious trouble, so contact us if you don’t see an obvious solution.
You May Just Have a Dirty Air Filter
We cannot stress this enough. You have to change your air filter regularly. This is especially true when we are dealing with temperatures as hot as we’ve already been seeing this summer season. Why is this such a big deal? Because a very dirty air filter is going to create too much airflow resistance in your air conditioning system. Okay, you may be thinking, my system won’t blow air out of the ducts quite as forcefully. Is that really such a big deal?
This is not really the issue at hand — though struggling to distribute air does put a lot of strain on the AC. If your air conditioner is suffering from reduced airflow due to a very dirty air filter, then the evaporator coil is going to struggle to draw a sufficient amount of heat out of the system. This will cause the coil to get way too cold, and the condensation on that coil can freeze up as a result. The resulting ice is only going to serve to insulate the coil further, exacerbating the situation.
It Could Also Be a Refrigerant Leak
In terms of an icy coil, a dirty air filter is definitely your best case scenario. The likely alternative, particularly if you are seeing ice or frost on the outdoor unit/refrigerant lines as well, is a refrigerant leak. Why is this such a big deal? Well, continuing to run an AC that is leaking refrigerant — which low levels suggest, being as that the system does not consume this fluid — can effectively destroy your system.
Refrigerant is the key to your air conditioner’s ability to cool your property. It is the evaporation of refrigerant that allows your system to draw heat out of the air, and the condensing of that refrigerant that allows the system to vent its heat outdoors. If your air filter is clean and you’re seeing ice on your system, schedule professional air conditioning repairs with Goettl Air Conditioning immediately.
G-O-E-T-T-L it’ll keep you cool but it’s hard to spell.
Related Expert Center Articles
Qualities to Look for in Commercial HVAC Repair Services
During a long, hot summer in Southern Arizona, a powerful air conditioner is essential for the success of any business. With the amount of strain that you will place on your company’s AC during the summer months, you need to have the number of an excellent Tucson, AZ commercial HVAC repair service handy should something go wrong with your cooling. You’ll also need to keep them in mind for the rest of the year, should you also need work for your heater. But what separates a good commercial H...
Don’t Forget to Schedule Heating Maintenance
The temperature around here during the daytime hours is still pretty warm, although, at night, things are getting noticeably cooler. Sure, we’re hanging around the mid-60’s for the most part right now, but it won’t be long before temps in the 50’s, and even the 40’s, are commonplace. Our mild winters do not mean that you can overlook the need for professional heating maintenance in Phoenix, AZ. Before our nights get any colder, you should dial our number and schedule routine heating m...
Thermostat Tips for a Better Cooling Performance
There are a lot of different components in your home cooling system, but not a single one do you interact with more directly than your thermostat. It is your thermostat, after all, through which you communicate with your air conditioning system in order to regulate its performance. Because of this, it is absolutely necessary to ensure that you are using your thermostat in Phoenix, AZ as successfully as possible. While you may not think of a thermostat as being very complex, the fact of the matte...