Frozen Evaporator Coil? Here’s What You Can Do To Fix It

AC is essential for us to work in comfort. A malfunctioning AC unit is the last thing we need at our home or residence as it puts us through several inconveniences. A frozen evaporator coil is a leading cause of these AC unit defects. Hence, it is essential to know the basis for the problems and fix them for early prevention.

Function Of The Evaporator Coil

You can find the evaporator coil in the blower compartment or the air handler of an AC unit. It holds the chilled refrigerant sent by the compressor. As the air from the blower fan moves over the coil, the cold refrigerant removes the heat from your home’s air.

Generally, the role of the evaporator coil is to reduce humidity. This process occurs as the air from the blower fan moves over, and refrigerants remove heat in the surrounding air. Conversely, the warm water vapor coming from your home’s air hit the evaporator coil. This vapor gets collected, condenses, and drains away to the air duct outside.

Causes For Frozen Coil

An evaporator coil or an air filter with built-up dirt makes it difficult to absorb heat from the air. As a result, the coils will get too cold and start to freeze. Another reason for this is the low refrigerant levels in the AC unit. A leak can decrease refrigerant levels, and subsequently, the heat absorption becomes lower, making the coils freeze.

Proper airflow in the system is required to keep the heat balance in the AC unit. The malfunctioning air handler (the part containing the blower) or closed off air registers, which is the air ducts’ passage to the room, causes this problem. Here, the air blow to the coil becomes inadequate and won’t have enough heat for absorption.

Fixing Method

It is essential to find the correct root cause before fixing the evaporator coil. You can perform a few steps to fix the problem, or you might need the service from an AC repair center.

Turn off the AC – This will minimize further damage to your cooling device and help to melt the ice. Depending on the number of ice coats, you will need to keep your AC off for several hours.

Switch to fan mode – This will blow warm air over the coil, and the ice will start to melt. Those who do not want to switch on the fan mode can use a hand dryer to melt the ice faster.

Check air filters – Clogged filters reduce the flow of air below the system specification. Due to this, the refrigerant circulating through the coil is unable to extract sufficient heat.

Drainage problems – A clogged drainpipe causes the water to accumulate and freeze on the coils. Therefore it is essential to check the drainage block, especially when humidity is high.

Inspect for physical damage – Bent coil fins, damaged fittings, and dented pipes could lead to freezing problems. Service from an AC  repair center is required to restore the damages.

After trying the initial steps and if the evaporator coil continues to freeze, a repair needs to be done through a service center. The upkeep, cleaning, and maintenance can be handled accurately by the professionals. 

The AC repair technician will ensure thorough cleaning of dirty coils and blocked air ducts. In addition, by using special equipment, leaks can be traced and sealed. Fixing damaged blowers, obstructed vents, straightening of heat transfer fins will also be performed.

After completing the necessary actions, your AC will start functioning normally. Performing an annual maintenance check for your Air conditioner will help to minimize problems.

It is essential to take immediate action for frozen coils to prevent harm to your AC compressor, which will cost you more in the future. Contact our team of experts for all AC repairs and maintenance.