Air conditioner icing is a problem often encountered on central air conditioning systems. Ice that forms on the coils inside the air handler (the unit inside your home) is an indication of a problem with your air conditioning system that needs to be addressed. Since these coils are hidden inside the air handler, most homeowners are not aware of the ice formation.
Instead, the homeowner will notice that their air conditioning system is not cooling as well as it used to. A symptom that points to ice formation is a system that seems to operate properly at first, but cooling air output becomes progressively worse the longer the system is operated.
What is happening is that the longer the system runs, the more ice that forms on the coils and the greater the blockage of the air flow. If the system doesn’t run much during the night, the ice may melt and the next day, the system will seem to operate normally at first, but lose efficiency throughout the day.
Lack of sufficient air flow and improper refrigerant levels are two basic things that can cause ice to form on the coils. A dirty or clogged air filter or blocked return vents can cause this problem. If your air filter is clean and there are no obstructions in front of the air return vents, then it’s time to call an experienced HVAC technician. You could have a leak causing low refrigerant, a blockage, a malfunctioning expansion valve, or some other problem. A good HVAC technician with experience in residential HVAC service and repair will be able to identify and repair the problem and get your system running at peak efficiency.
