Air conditioners are designed to provide cool air for your home on hot summer days. Keeping your air conditioner in good repair means enjoying more than a decade of efficient, effective cooling and low energy bills. By contrast, poor air conditioner function will consume more energy without cooling your home properly, leading to discomfort, higher bills, and more frequent breakdowns that require professional AC repair. If you notice frost or ice on your air conditioner, it’s important to take steps to correct the situation. Ice that is allowed to persist can cause damage to your air conditioner and the surrounding area, leaving you with an expensive situation to clean up.

Low Temperatures

Particularly during the spring and fall, the temperature may rise during the day, prompting you to use your air conditioner to cool off. However, the temperature may fall again at night; when the temperature is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, air conditioning systems often have trouble operating properly, and ice may form on the coils as a result. If you are experiencing ice formation on your air conditioner and suspect it may be due to the outdoor temperature, try turning off the AC at night to see if this solves the problem—if so, you don’t need to call for AC repair.

Poor Airflow

One of the most common causes of air conditioner freeze-ups is poor airflow over the evaporator coils. Insufficient airflow reduces your air conditioner’s effectiveness, so you may also notice a drop in cooling efficiency and a corresponding rise in temperature inside your home. Restricted airflow over the coils may be caused by many conditions, including dirt accumulation inside the air conditioner, dirty HVAC ducts, and problems with your HVAC blower fan. Such problems are more likely if it’s been over a year since your air conditioner last received professional maintenance. If you think your air conditioner is forming ice because of a problem with airflow over the coils, it’s best to call in an HVAC professional to assess the condition of your air conditioner and perform any cleaning or repairs that may be needed.

Refrigerant Leak

Air conditioners use a liquid refrigerant to transfer heat from your home to the outside air. This refrigerant is recirculated through your system, which is closed—this means that any loss of refrigerant is due to a leak in your system. Refrigerant leaks can cause a drop in refrigerant volume large enough to affect your air conditioner’s function, causing it to form ice on the coils. Such leaks are AC repairs that should always be handled by a professional, as most air conditioners today still use a refrigerant called R-22 (Freon) that can harm the environment if released. As soon as you suspect you may have a refrigerant leak, call in a professional to check your system and repair the leak, as well as replace any refrigerant that may have been lost to restore your AC’s cooling efficiency and prevent further ice formation.

Cooling problems can affect your comfort and your utility bills—you can enjoy the fast resolution of any AC problems when you enlist the help of an experienced HVAC technician serving Fairfax and Montgomery County. Click on over to our website for additional troubleshooting tips and information about AC and furnace repairs, or peruse the articles on our online blog to learn more about how your HVAC system works and how to maintain it for efficient function all year long.