You hear the sound of droplets and look out the window. Nope, clear skies. You head over to the kitchen sink and it’s dry as a bone. Just when you thought the frost was over and the only chill you’ll feel in months during the summer is the cooling sensation of the air conditioner; you notice the frost and icicles forming around the components of your air conditioner unit. It literally looks like it just snowed but only on your air conditioner. You think one thing: How odd.

The next thing that crosses your mind is, “how much is this going to cost me?” Whenever you think that you may be experiencing a breakdown with your AC, it’s normal to feel immediate worry about the cost and repairs. Well, calm down and don’t panic. In order to understand the possible repairs needed in this situation, it’s always good to know why and how the air conditioner freezes up in the first place:

1. Restricted airflow
2. Insufficient refrigerant

For homeowners that aren’t experts when it comes to air conditioners, it essentially means that the evaporator coil is not operating to transfer heat and over cools itself. A natural occurrence to cooling is condensation, and when the AC unit reaches a temperature below freezing, the condensation converts into frosty snow and icicles.

What to do?

First thing’s first, turn off the air conditioner unit completely. Then, identify if reason number 1. “Restricted airflow” is not the reason for the freeze up. Check to see if there is any obstruction in or around the air conditioner unit that may be restricting airflow such as, furniture or drapes. Next, check the furnace or air filter and ensure it isn’t clogged up and needs to be replaced. This could also cause restricted airflow. 

If the problem still persists, contact a professional HVAC specialist to assess the situation.  They can properly diagnose the issues and have them provide you their best recommendation to repair the unit. You can expect that the technician will inspect that there is no damage or leaks of the refrigerant. If there is a leak (which is rare) it will need to be repaired or parts may need to be replaced. It may or may not be a huge job, but it would require immediate attention. Some companies may connect you with someone over the telephone, which can be frustrating –what you’ll need is to have a technician come in-person to properly inspect the issues. This can very well be avoided with an annual air-conditioning tune up well before the hot season is in full swing.

If you’re experiencing these types of issues with your air conditioner or would like to book a preventative maintenance call with an experienced technician, contact Air Leaders Inc.in Markham and the GTA. If you’re experiencing too many issues with your current unit and are considering a brand new air conditioner replacement, Air Leaders Inc. can offer you top of the line high-efficiency central air conditioners, which includes installation at competitive prices. Get in touch with us today for more information.