Why Does Your Air Conditioner Freeze in Summer?

July 20, 2017


  • Water is leaking from or gathering under your air conditioner.

When we say the air conditioner is frozen, what’s actually frozen is the evaporator coil, which transfers heat out of your home to maintain the cooler temperatures. There are two main causes that an evaporator coil may freeze; one is a refrigerant leak and the other reason is a blockage of airflow.

If your air conditioner has a refrigerant leak, you will want to speak with your Faust Air Conditioning and Heating technician during your air conditioning service appointment to determine if you will benefit more from repairing or replacing your air conditioner. We can help you assess the pros and cons using information such as the age of your air conditioner and its service history, along with other things.

If your air conditioner has frozen because of an airflow blockage, it’s because there isn’t sufficient air passing over the evaporator coil to dry the condensation that builds up on it—then it freezes. Air flow blockages are frequently caused by dirty air filters or even dirty cooling fins. These problems can be remedied (and avoided!) by a routine air conditioner service appointment. At these service sessions, your technician will clean your system, replace your air filters and confirm everything is operating as it should with no potential challenges on the horizon. It’s also a valuable idea to mark your calendar or set a reminder on your phone to check your air filters frequently and change the filters when they are dirty. Always make sure that furniture, curtains and other household items aren’t blocking your registers, as even this could cause a large airflow problem and the following freezing problems.

If your air conditioner freezes, turn it off using your thermostat and call the experts at Faust Air Conditioning and Heating to schedule an air conditioning service appointment. We’ll help you identify the issue and have your home back to cool and comfortable as soon as possible. Call us at 979-323-6130 to schedule an appointment with us.