It is hard to imagine how an air conditioning unit could freeze up in the extreme heat of summer. But it is more common than you think. At Royal Heating and Air we get requests for HVAC service at the Lake of the Ozarks every summer due to frozen air conditioners. It is usually because of one of three things, and the good news is … they are avoidable. We would like to share those three things with you in this blog so you can avoid any inconveniences or unexpected damage due to a frozen AC unit this summer.
1) Improper Airflow.
Your air conditioning unit requires good airflow to function properly. The way it works is by blowing the hot air in your home over evaporating coils which are cooled by a chemical refrigerant. The refrigerant absorbs that excess heat and, in the process, cools the air which then blows back into your home. If the airflow is restricted, it can keep enough air from flowing across the coils and they get too cold. This leads condensation on the coils to turn to ice and freezes up the unit.
A common cause of lack of airflow is a dirty air filter. Keeping a clean filter will help maintain proper air flow and help prevent freezing. Proper air flow also helps improve efficiency, which could help extend the life of your HVAC unit. Not to mention, a clean air filter helps maintain better indoor air quality. It is a good idea to check your filter more regularly if you have pets or a home more prone to dust such as one on or near a gravel road.
2) Dusty Coils.
Another reason to check your air filter regularly is to
prevent dust from building up on the evaporator coils. When dust in the air blows over the wet coils
it sticks and creates a thick layer of moist residue that blankets the coils and
keeps them from exchanging heat from the air into the refrigerant. This causes the coils to get way too cold and
eventually freeze up.
3) Refrigerant.
If your AC is low on refrigerant, it can have a huge impact
on how your system works. When the
pressure is low, the temperature of the refrigerant can drop. At some point, the hot air is not enough to
keep up with the low temperature and the evaporator coil can freeze.
Of course, you can keep an eye on your air filter and your
coils yourself, but only a professional HVAC technician at the Lake of the Ozarks
should check the refrigerant. At Royal
Heating and Air, when you schedule regular HVAC maintenance at the Lake of the Ozarks, we check all three FOR YOU and more! Why worry about avoidable damage when you can
trust Royal Heating and Air to keep your HVAC in great shape? After all, we are the king of comfort.
No comments:
Post a Comment