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We understand the sentiment that homeowners who experience this have. If temperatures are reaching unbearable heights and the sun is beating down on you, it can be easy to confuse ice on your air conditioning system with it doing a good job—but this is just plain wrong. Air conditioners don’t use ice to cool your home, and ice isn’t an effective way to cool anything other than your lemonade.
Most homeowners won’t believe this unless they learn the truth about why the ice is forming on their air conditioning system and what that means for their home. Once you know why it’s happening, it might be easier to understand why this is always a bad thing to see
At that point, it should be obvious to call your local service professional for HVAC in Livingston. By removing the ice and repairing the problem, you can finally have your system cool your home the right way.
Electricity, Not Ice
Air conditioners keep your home cool via electricity, not by using ice. That’s because electricity is a much more efficient and less energy-intensive way of keeping your home cool, which means any ice on your machine is a bad sign. It means your air conditioner is starting to lose efficiency and you’ll start seeing increases in your energy bills.
How Does Ice Form on my AC?
Ice usually forms on an air conditioner’s evaporator coils for two distinct reasons.
Firstly, when a dirty or clogged air conditioner stifles airflow, there could be a lack of air that circulates over the evaporator coils. This air is supposed to circulate, and without that, your evaporator coil could fall below freezing and form ice which inhibits the cooling process. This can be easily mitigated by replacing or changing the air filter.
The second most common reason for ice to form on an evaporator coil is because of low refrigerant levels. Refrigerant is required to circulate through the evaporator coil and distribute heat. Without enough refrigerant to distribute heat, the temperature of the evaporator coil will fall too low and begin freezing up. This can be a trickier problem because low refrigerant requires both a recharge of the material and an inspection as to what caused the low amount in the first place.
If you’re noticing ice on your air conditioner, be sure to contact our team of professionals to find out what’s causing it.
Please Contact a Professional
Homeowners sometimes think it’s a clever idea to use a blowdryer and melt the ice on an air conditioner, or just continue to operate their system believing it can’t hurt their cooling power. Trying to remove the ice yourself is highly discouraged and largely ineffective, and ignoring the problem won’t help either. This is a situation that must be addressed by licensed, certified professionals in the field.
Air conditioners are complex pieces of machinery, and any time you make your own judgment call on what’s an important fix and what isn’t, you’re setting yourself up for more expensive repair or replacement costs in the future. Limit your bills and keep your system in good shape by calling us.
Call the team at Ambient Air Solutions today. Simplifying heating and cooling.