Residential AC Repair Services: Common Reason Why An AC Evaporator Coil Freezes
During the hot months, your AC plays a vital role in cooling your living spaces. But keeping it in good working order requires a functioning evaporator coil. This AC component draws heat from the surrounding air using an evaporated refrigerant. Any warm air pulled into the unit flows across the evaporator coil, cooling it quickly through heat exchange. However, sometimes the evaporator coil freezes and your AC ceases to work as expected. Below are some reasons why your AC evaporator coil can freeze.
Insufficient Refrigerant in the Unit
The refrigerant will, at times, leak out of your unit. As odd as it may sound, a decreasing volume of the refrigerant will make the evaporator coils freeze. Whenever there is a low refrigerant, your unit tends to overwork. It will absorb more heat than usual as a result. That is because the compressor does not generate enough pressure required to circulate the remaining refrigerant through the coils. This causes freezing within the refrigerant lines.
Clogged Drainpipe
As the AC unit draws warm air, moisture from the humid surroundings is also trapped. It condenses into water and is drained away through the drainpipe. Any clogs in the drainpipe result in the condensation staying in place for a longer duration. Since the evaporator coil is the coldest part of the AC, clogged condensation lines near the coil would cause the water in them frozen. Subsequently, this causes the evaporator coils to freeze.
Insufficient Airflow
Typically, warm air around your unit is cooled down by drawing it in the system and pushing it over the coil, which absorbs the heat. However, insufficient airflow into the AC reduces the amount of heat absorbed.
As a result, there is little condensation in the condenser coil, and the evaporator coil may freeze. In addition, airflow may become obstructed by dirt and debris build-up in the air vents or AC filters. If left unresolved, this condition leads to other problems in the internal AC components. For instance, it may lead to blower fan problems.
Grimy Evaporator Coils
Dust, debris, and particles in the air ultimately find their way into the AC unit. Over time, trapped dirt can accumulate on the evaporator coil. The build-up reduces the amount of heat drawn from the air during the heat exchange process. As a result, the condensation process slows down with less heat to absorb, and the evaporator coil freezes. The best remedy in this situation is to clean the coil.
The AC plays an essential role in thermal comfort in the summer months. Therefore, you should call an AC contractor for residential AC repair services when you notice anything unusual.
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