Austin Heating And Air

Why Is My Air Conditioner’s Refrigerant Line Covered In Ice?

An Austin tech explains,

Let’s say you’re mowing the lawn or pulling weeds. You’re looking forward to finishing up your chores so you can head inside and enjoy a nice, cool beverage in your nice, cool home. As you’re working, you glance over at your trusty AC unit, and something looks… unusual. And by “unusual” what we mean is “frozen.”

Alarm bells go off in your head. “Oh. That can’t be good.”

You’re right. It’s not good when your AC unit “freezes up.” But don’t panic! If you see any frosty bits on the refrigerant line (or anywhere else, for that matter), there’s plenty you can do on your own before you call us.

Step 1: Thaw Your Unit

Turn OFF your AC, turn the fan setting to ON, and wait three of four hours. We know, we know: Turning off your AC when it’s sweltering isn’t anyone’s idea of fun. But neither is causing massive (expensive) damage to your AC system, right? So give the poor thing a chance to thaw out.

Step 2: Learn Some Quick HVAC Anatomy

When your refrigerant line is frozen, your indoor evaporator coil is probably also frozen.

The evaporator coil holds refrigerant, which is a liquid or gas that absorbs heat from warm air. (That’s right; AC units don’t really “add cold” to air; they actually “remove heat”!) If the refrigerant gets too cold, the moisture in the surrounding air freezes.

So, why would refrigerant get too cold? One of two reasons: low airflow over the coils or low amounts of refrigerant. (Spoiler alert: These are the two things you’re going to check in a bit.)

Step 3: Review The Don’ts

Damage to your HVAC system is costly and time-consuming. So as you’re going about your DIY business, make sure you avoid the following:

  • Don’t continue to operate your AC: Leaving your unit on despite the freeze-up may burn out the compressor and motor, which can lead to replacing the entire system.
  • Don’t scrape or pick off the ice: You’re more likely to damage your equipment. Allow it to thaw completely and naturally.
  • Don’t replace refrigerant yourself: We’ll say more about that in a bit.

Step 4: Check For Blockages

When it comes to frozen refrigerant lines, the best-case scenario is you have a blockage somewhere. Here are the places to check:

  • Air filters: Inspect your air filters and replace them if there’s any visible dirt. Check and replace as needed, at least once a month.
  • Supply vents: Open all supply vents—the vents that blow air out. Yes, even in the rooms you don’t use.
  • Return vents: Unblock any return vents—the vents that suck air in. These are most often blocked by furniture or curtains.
  • Dirty coils: Blockages can also happen on the evaporator coils themselves. If you’re mechanically inclined, you can carefully clean them yourself with compressed air, a brush, or mild detergent and water. Check your owner’s manual for details.

Step 5: Check Your Refrigerant

Despite conventional wisdom, refrigerant doesn’t get “used up.” That means if you’re low on refrigerant, you have a leak.

Ice on your refrigerant line is the #1 sign of a leak, but here are some others to pay attention to:

  • Higher-than-normal energy bills
  • Air coming out of your vents isn’t very cold
  • Bubbling or hissing noises from your HVAC unit

If you suspect a refrigerant leak, do not attempt to replace it yourself. It’s a toxic chemical that should be handled by Austin’s HVAC pros to protect your safety.

Step 6: Give Us A Call!

If your AC is acting up and none of these quick fixes did the trick, we’re happy to help diagnose, treat, and prevent future problems. Give us a call today!

Eddie
2023-10-04
From the get go, Kassidy was excellent in scheduling options and even managed to snag me an earlier time slot than previous discussed. She took the time to reach out and confirm. A major shout out to Jamie and Carlo—talk about pros. They were excellent on providing education and explaining the why behind my duct issues. This was the initial inspection and I’ll make sure to leave details once the work is completed.
Jose Carlos Rodriguez
2023-09-25
Awesome
Eric Corum
2023-09-25
Very professional, great communicators, and very thorough.
Agustin Hernandez
2023-09-21
Todo muy profesional desde que hablé para pedir información la Srita que me atendió muy amable y el técnico que vino a mi casa también muy amable y profesional resolvió todas mis dudas 100% recomendable
Cindi Taylor
2023-09-14
What an amazing team of people! I came home from vacation and my house was hot. It was hot outside- Austin in the summer hot. I spoke with Petra and she was able to get a technician out within a couple of hours. That in itself is quite a feat given it was after 1:30pm. Jaime Ortega was dispatched and came to check the system. This guy has great customer service skills! He is a is very respectful, polite, communicate well, explains what is going on and is very thorough. He was joined by Carlos, who is also very polite, considerate and knowledgeable. These guys make a really great team. I was told there were several problems and I explained I had been trying to deal with one side of my house not working properly and the other side never getting cool in the summer and warm in the winter. My electric bills over the last 2 months were unsustainable. They went into the attic and traced down all the ductwork, discovered some of it had been installed incorrectly and they formulated a solution. It was also decided by me to replace the entire AC system. By the time this was decided, it was well after 6:30pm. I asked when we would be able to get this to happen and they said - tomorrow! They showed up on time and regretably I did not get the 3rd team member's name- and he deserves a shout out too. They worked for more than 8 hours in that horrible heat- got the system installed and everything cleaned up, packed up, and left the space better than they found it. I really appreciate skilled professionals that respect someone's home and who take the time to talk with me and let me know what is going on, what they are finding and how to take care of my investment. I have chosen for several years to be part of their maintenance membership plan and I have never been disappointed- even when I have an unexpected event - like a system failure while on vacation. I have had the privilege of meeting one of the owners, talking with the administrative staff, and 3 technicians that are really awesome people. These guys care about the quality of work they perform and they work to keep their customers happy. No wonder they have such great reviews! I am very happy with the service I received, the way I was treated and the value they bring to their industry. Keep up the good work! I will certainly tell everyone I know to call you when they need help. Perfect name too- GRANDE AIR SOLUTIONS!!!
Lourdes Alonso
2023-09-09
A/C stopped working on a Friday night and Isael came out within the hour and got it working. He was really knowledgeable and showed us other areas to keep an eye on. He stayed long enough to make sure the system was lowering the temperature in the house.
Sascha Rips
2023-09-09
Our A/C went out late in the day on a Friday. Grande Air was able to get us in Friday evening and got our A/C up and running in just a short time. Prices were also very reasonable even though it was a weekend evening. We will definitely use them again for future A/C needs.
Kiersten Legge
2023-09-07
Jaime was AWESOME!!! Professional and let us know each step he was taking in diagnosis and repair. Love Grande!!!!!

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