What Causes AC Units To Freeze Up?

Join us on the Check A Pro Radio Show as we dive into common home improvement issues with expert Nathan Shafer from Shafer Heating and Cooling. In this episode, Nathan addresses a frequent problem: why air conditioning units freeze up.

Nathan explains the various reasons behind this issue, from airflow problems due to dirty filters or coils, to more complex issues like refrigerant leaks and metering device malfunctions. He emphasizes the importance of proper maintenance and timely repairs to avoid costly and inefficient 'band-aid' solutions.

Learn the critical steps to take when your AC unit starts to freeze, including the necessity of shutting it down to prevent further damage. Nathan shares valuable tips on maintaining your system’s efficiency and ensuring a comfortable home environment.

Tune in for expert advice and practical solutions to keep your AC running smoothly all summer long!

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Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Check A Pro Joe here on the Check A Pro radio show love
talking home improvement I've got a home improvement expert here
Nathan Shafer from Shafer Heating and Cooling hello
Nathan how are you hey great how are you man I am living the dream it's so great
to have you here on the program today you know questions come in to the radio
program and this is a common question it's a common issue and it's happened

(00:26):
to me before in the past with my air conditioning unit and And the question is,
is what causes AC units to freeze up?
Great question. Yeah, definitely a common one, especially this time of year.
We get that one coming in quite a bit.
So, you know, there's a list of things really that can cause the AC to freeze up.
It could be, I mean, first thing to check first would be airflow, right?

(00:49):
So if we don't have enough airflow moving across that indoor evaporator coil,
it's going to get colder and colder. It's going to cause it to freeze up.
So, uh, number one thing to check, uh, for you, uh, as the client is,
Hey, is the air filter clean?
Who's the last thing I, last time I changed it, it's out of sight, out of mind.
It probably feels like it was last week, but let's face it. It might've been
two months, three months, six months ago. So check the air filter.

(01:11):
Let's make sure that's good and clean.
Uh, it could be a cleanliness thing on the coil. So once again,
causing airflow issues, uh, could be issues with the blower motor,
uh, outside of that, outside of airflow and duct sizing and things,
it could be, other things relating to refrigerant circuits.
So things like metering devices, low on charge, maybe there's a leak in the system.
Some people will kind of have that common thought process belief that,

(01:34):
hey, it's been five or six years, it's probably time to add a little bit of charge to it.
In reality, that system should not be leaking.
That should be a tight sealed system.
And so if there's no leak, we really shouldn't have to ever be adding refrigerant
to the system. So, hey, yes, let's get it charged up and working correctly,
but let's also check the system for leaks.
And we've got the instruments and things to be able to do that.

(01:56):
So those are some of the most common things. There's other things as well,
but that's going to be some of your most common things.
So airflow, low on charge due to a leak or metering device, restrictions,
something like that, and refrigerant circuits.
So lots of things that can cause that system to freeze up.
Some people will top off their refrigerant every year.

(02:19):
That's like you said, you're not supposed to do that.
Some people avoid getting the repair done and they're putting a bandaid on it.
It's kind of like having to put oil in your car or truck all the time.
It's not supposed to be leaking.
But you can still operate both the air conditioning system and the car or truck
for a while like that, but it's not the right thing to do. It is important to

(02:43):
keep coils, whether it's outside or inside, clean, the air filter clean.
So I would guess that if everything's been running great with your five-year-old
unit, but all of a sudden you're having a problem, then something's changed.

(03:03):
Something's dirty or you might have a leak.
Mm hmm. Yeah. And like you said, it's not that you couldn't keep,
you know, quote unquote, topping it off.
But not only that, just a band aid, you know, it could be causing some other
wear and tear on the system by constantly getting low and you're running it.
You could be increasing utility bills because it's changing your run times,
efficiency of the system is changing the comfort of the home,

(03:25):
all these different things.
But also, too, I mean, topping it off can get expensive.
Refrigerant's not cheap. Having that licensed technician, that fully stocked
truck, that ambulance, that emergency vehicle come out every time to keep topping
it off, that can get costly.
And so we want to make sure we find the right fix, the proper fix,
the one-time solution to get that system fixed, not freezing up and working

(03:50):
properly and efficiently for the client.
So we're definitely obviously always here to do that 24-7.
I've heard of tips also, when it freezes up, if you know it's freezing up,
you really need to shut it down for a while to let it defrost.
Even though it may be very, very hot where it's freezing up,
it doesn't matter. It's going to freeze.

(04:12):
Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So if you've got signs that it's starting to frost or freeze
up, yeah, shut it down because you can cause so much more damage.
Image uh if it were in the cooling mode where it's going to start freezing first
um you know nine out of ten times that evaporator coil
inside the furnace inside the house and it might
work its way back out so you may notice it at the outdoor unit on that big refrigerant

(04:33):
line coming up but if it's freezing up out there that means the inside unit
is a huge chunk of ice but that's all inside the system so chances are you may
not be able to see that well that's creating a lot of pressure on that coil
which can cause more leaks or other damage or when it melts water is going to
start getting down to the furnace.
So just shut power off to the furnace, shut it down, give us a call,
let us come out and check it out.
But yeah, shut it down. As soon as you notice that don't try to keep getting

(04:57):
just a little bit out of which I know it's tempting, it's hot,
and that's what you naturally want to do.
However, when the technician comes out, it's a huge chunk of ice.
There's not much they can do or test until it unthaws. So let's turn it off.
Let's let it unthaw. Let's not cause any more damage.
That way when the technician comes out, they can do a proper diagnosis and be
able to tell tell exactly what's
going on with that system, what caused it to freeze up to begin with.

(05:20):
Great advice. Nathan, thank you so much for joining me today.
Hey, you bet, Jim. Thank you.