Don't Let Your Air Conditioning Freeze In The Summer

When the hotter months make homes uncomfortable, many homeowners are tempted to turn the temperatures down low and the fan speed as high as possible. It may be a desperate attempt to cool off, but rushing to turn the air conditioning to extreme temperatures can lead to bigger problems later. An air conditioner unit can freeze over if operating at maximum capacity for long periods of time in some climates, but a few key points can help you understand the problem and hopefully avoid it in the future.

How Can An Air Conditioner Freeze?

An air conditioner works by evaporating cooled liquid at high temperatures to create a cool mist of air. The air is then distributed through the air conditioner's ventilation and through the room that needs to be cooled.

Because of the cold inner temperature of an air conditioner working at full power, a conflict between warm air, cool air, and moisture can be created. The condensation caused by hot air and cold air mixing can attach to the inner components of the air conditioning unit, which then freezes when temperatures are low enough.

Freezing doesn't happen immediately. You may go a few hours or even days before enough liquid is able to settle and freeze, but the process can slowly destroy the inner components of the air conditioning unit.

Parts that need to move, such as refrigerant supply tubes or the blower fan, can be damaged when ice restricts their movement. The supply tube can rupture and spill more liquid, leading to faster freezing while the blower fan's motor can burn due to the stress of working against ice.

Low, Extreme Temperature Settings Aren't Worth It

An air conditioning unit doesn't cool "faster" just because you dial in colder settings. Although outside and inside temperatures can affect cooling time, the air conditioner will arrive at the same temperature at around the same time no matter the setting.

As an example, consider a household that likes their air conditioning at 70 degrees. If the family comes home and turns on the air conditioning, they may feel comfort within 10 minutes if they simply leave the settings on 70 degrees. If the family sets the air conditioning unit at 50 degrees in hopes of faster cooling, 70 degrees will be reached at the same amount of time--then the temperature will continue to drop to a usually uncomfortable 50 degrees.

If your air conditioner is already damaged due to ice, contact an air conditioner repairs professional for fix the problem or to get a new air conditioning unit.