If all is normal, ice shouldn’t form spontaneously on your air conditioner. The generally warm spring weather in Virginia Beach, VA, should make such an event seem all the more bizarre. Here are a few possible explanations for the sudden ice buildup on your AC system:
Dirty Air Filters
In one way or another, poor airflow lies at the heart of many issues with your air conditioner, including ice forming on your AC system. Dirty or clogged air filters are the most common cause of weak airflow in an AC system.
If airflow is inadequate, you can expect the temperature of your air conditioner to drop rather significantly. Once that happens, any condensation that happens to be there will be much more likely to turn into ice. This is only one of many reasons it’s important to change your system’s air filters at least once every three months.
Faulty Wiring
Faulty electrical wiring can cause you a great deal of trouble. If the wires connecting your thermostat to your AC system are inadequate, you may get into a situation where, even after your home hits the proper temperature, parts of your air conditioner continue working. For example, the blower and the fans may stop, but the compressor may keep operating.
In such a case, the resulting lack of airflow will both damage your compressor and cause ice to appear. You’ll need trained HVAC service technicians to either replace the wiring or hook up a new thermostat.
Insufficient Refrigerant
If your air conditioner loses some of its refrigerant, it won’t be able to transfer heat as effectively. Consequently, less refrigerant will reach the evaporator coils, and the temperature there will fall. Once again, this raises the probability that ice will form.
Don’t attempt to replace lost refrigerant by yourself. This is a job that an HVAC maintenance service technician should handle.
If you’ve noticed ice on your air conditioner that isn’t thawing, don’t panic. Instead, call Weather Makers, Inc. and request our AC repair services.
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