I have a central air conditioner and the pipe from the outside unit to the house has ice building up around it as well as the big compressor inside the unit. I've looked around and most things say low on coolant, but I had a guy out to look at it a few years ago and he said it was fine. Can it get low that quick? Also, I regularly change the air filters so its not that.
We notice the temperature slowly rising inside the house and we know its the ice on the A/C. Is there some way I can fix this without paying some guy to take a look at it, or is that the only option? Any advice you may have is greatly appreciated...it's hot! Thanks!How can I fix ice build-up on the pipes and compressor in the outdoor unit of my air conditioner?A lot of things can happen in two years. As mentioned, the system could be low on refrigerant, the evaporator coil could be dirty, etc. The best thing to do right now is to turn the thermostat to %26quot;off%26quot; and set the %26quot;auto/on%26quot; switch to %26quot;on%26quot; so that just the indoor blower runs. That will help thaw out the system quicker. Let it run like this for a least an hour or two. Without being there to check the refrigerant charge or the system operation, it's really difficult to fix and A/C over the Internet. After it thaws out, run your system as you normally do. If you have an accurate thermometer, check the temperature at the return air and the temperature of the air coming out of the evaporator coil. The split should be between 16-20 degrees. If it's less than 16 degrees, chances are it's low on refrigerant. If it's more than 20 degrees, you've got airflow issues (dirty evaporator coil). Other than that, there's not much more you can do other than have the system serviced. Good luck!How can I fix ice build-up on the pipes and compressor in the outdoor unit of my air conditioner?You are overrunning the unit and have the thermostatat set too lowHow can I fix ice build-up on the pipes and compressor in the outdoor unit of my air conditioner?Your filter could be very dirty or the evaporator coils are dirty causing reduced air flow across the coil. If not, the charge of refrigerant is low.How can I fix ice build-up on the pipes and compressor in the outdoor unit of my air conditioner?Your unit is running too much. You need to have it serviced. Anything can happen over a few YEARS.How can I fix ice build-up on the pipes and compressor in the outdoor unit of my air conditioner?A few years? You can loose refrigerant in a few days or sooner if the leak is large enough. Since it is freezing up, that tells me it hasn't lost all its charge but it has lost a significant amount. Turn off the a/c so the coil thaws and call a technician. If it is iced up when he arrives, you will be charged for extra time to thaw the coil.How can I fix ice build-up on the pipes and compressor in the outdoor unit of my air conditioner?It could also depend on where you are in the country and what time you notice this...if its too cool outside the same thing could happen.How can I fix ice build-up on the pipes and compressor in the outdoor unit of my air conditioner?Low freon- more than likely.How can I fix ice build-up on the pipes and compressor in the outdoor unit of my air conditioner?An old trick to see if a unit is low on freon is to cover the evaporation coils with cardboard. If the unit frosts up all the way back to the compressor their IS enough freon in the system. So what is the solution? Clean the evaporation coils! Get in there and remove the hair dust and slime that has built up on the evaporator over the years. Then spray foaming cooling coil cleaner non-rinse formula on that A coil. The foam will draw out the deepest muck from 10000 years of funk my brother. Then the foam will go down into the drain and open it at well. So no rinsing is needed.How can I fix ice build-up on the pipes and compressor in the outdoor unit of my air conditioner?The only thing that CAN cause your condition is low refrigerant. The system should actually be checked yearly - well, at least here in Texas - but ABSOLUTELY it can lose charge on the refrigerant %26quot;that quickly%26quot;.
Actually - the system SHOULD be a %26quot;closed%26quot; system...meaning that in a normal condition, it should only need refrigerant (even in Texas) every 4 or 5 years. Any faster than that? You got a leak. Not uncommon - and generally quite repairable.
In my opinion, you MUST address that. NOT doing so is bad for the system, bad for your comfort, your energy bill AND the environment!
