This must be one of the most perplexing problems to have happen on an extremely hot day. We’ve had scorching hot temperatures this summer, and they seem to be sticking around. But your air conditioner might still be growing ice on the coils even in that heat. How the heck does that work?
Well, AC repair in Newberry, FL is a bit complicated, so we can’t necessarily answer this question in one quick sentence. In a nutshell: ice grows on an air conditioner due to a number of different reasons, but none of them are good and they’re all a result of poor airflow or lack of refrigerant. You see, that ice that’s forming on the side of your air conditioner is not being felt by you or your family, and it’s basically just a waste of cool temperatures that would otherwise be in your home.
So, let’s talk in detail about this peculiar problem. Then, we hope our newly informed customers will be quick to schedule a repair appointment with one of our technicians to have the issue diagnosed properly.
How Ice Might Form in the Summer Heat
This is probably the most perplexing part of discovering that there’s ice forming on your AC’s condenser coil. The fact that July was the hottest month ever recorded in human history, and you have ice growing outside? Now that sounds like some science fiction!
But all jokes aside, ice can form due to supercooled air or refrigerant that runs into problems with your AC system. To understand this more clearly, let’s look at the overall functionality of your AC.
The AC needs to run through hundreds of cubic feet of air very quickly in order to cool your home. It also needs to cycle through liquid and gaseous refrigerant in a cycle that cools the air. When the airflow gets clogged up, or when the refrigerant has trouble running in the normal cycle, things can get out of whack fast.
Your home might be too warm, but the inside of the air conditioner might be too cold, which is where the ice comes from. Moisture from the humid, outdoor air will condense on the coil and freeze into ice since the super-cooled refrigerant or air has nowhere else to go.
This is a big problem, and it ultimately means your system isn’t working properly.
Cause #1: A Refrigerant Leak
The first cause of ice forming on the condenser coil is a refrigerant leak. Without proper refrigerant levels, you’ll likely get mishaps like these. Don’t try to recharge the refrigerant yourself, instead call a professional ASAP.
Cause #2: A Clogged Air Filter
Make sure you change your AC’s air filter on a regular basis. When this component gets clogged up, airflow can be inhibited and your system might have trouble cooling your home, while getting too cold on the inside.
Professional Diagnosis Is Key
As with any complex problem, training and licensing is required in order to properly repair your AC. Just shut the system off and call our team for support.
At North Central Florida Air Conditioning we’re Improving Lives by Improving Homes! Contact us and we’ll fix your malfunctioning AC today.
