What Are the Reasons Why Your AC Unit May Have Ice on it During Summer?

Ice forming on your air conditioner during summer can be a big surprise to homeowners seeing it for the first time. It’s actually a common issue with air conditioners with four common causes.

  1. Refrigerant leaks or low refrigerant levels are common causes of ice on your air conditioner. AC refrigerant is vital for keeping your home cool and comfortable. When there’s not enough refrigerant in the evaporator coil, it will result in the coil freezing. Leaks can be caused by system wear and tear, weather conditions, and AC unit vibration. Without getting technical, refrigerant changes from a gas to a liquid and back again in an endless loop. It works in conjunction with other AC system components to push cool air through air vents into your home. This lowers the temperature of the evaporator coils. These coils transfer heat from the inside of your house to outside as exhaust. When the AC unit is low on refrigerant, coil temperature will drop and condensation from high humidity outside will form as ice.
  2. Mechanical issues, such as a dirty evaporator coil, damaged fan motor or blower fan, twisted refrigerant lines, or blocked AC drains, will result in reduced airflow throughout your AC unit. The compressor may be damaged from a rapid increase in the amount of electricity used to keep the system functioning properly.
  3. Air flow restrictions will cause your AC unit to have difficulty lowering indoor temperatures. These restrictions can be caused by an extremely dirty air filter, damaged ductwork, or damaged air ducts.
  4. Severe monsoon thunderstorms during the official Arizona monsoon season, running from June 15 to September 30, may result in the outdoor temperature to fall below 60 degrees. This rapid temperature drop can cause your AC unit to run inefficiently, and frost or ice can form on the AC unit.

Call Bruce’s

The sooner you call the better it will be for your cooling system. You don’t want to damage your AC unit further. Call us today at 480-968-5652. Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating professionals will help make certain your AC unit is inspected, and repaired if necessary. You’ll have peace of mind that your AC unit is running efficiently all summer long.