What could be wrong with my AC?

Question

Last nite it started getting hot, I checked the unit outside. The hose from the house to the unit was solid ice. It was working before that, what could be wrong? It is a major expense to fix it?

Answer 1

OK, again I ask, how long do you leave the doors or windows open in your house? This is the biggest cause of the A/C unit freezing up.The A/C removes humidity from the air and cools it down hence the need for proper drainage and with the prolonged introduction of outside air to the system it causes it to overwork and ice up the coils and freezes. Now you say it is a 'hose' that is frozen. Is this 'hose' you refer to a drain line or? First just turn the whole unit off for a while to let the ice completely melt, once melted make sure the 'hose' is completely free of all liquids (water). While you are waiting for the unit to melt go to the hardware store and buy a can of Zap-Clean coil cleaner spray the coils of the unit completely ( it will foam up) and let dry, this will remove all the dirt and grunge from the coils allowing your unit to work easier and more efficiently.
Now assuming you have followed these instructions you are ready to turn the unit back on and enjoy your conditioned air.
as for this 'hose' it still sounds as though it is just the drain line and it is not draining properly, make sure it is lower then the catch pan under the unit. If it means that you have to change it to a rubber hose to get it lower then that is what you have to do or you will continue to have this problem.

Answer 2

When an A-Coil freezes up the Freon level is NOT too low! The most likely cause is a dirty A-Coil. Other possible causes are a badly clogged filter or too low of a fan speed.

If the Freon was low it would not be able to cool at all, let alone freeze up. If the A-Coil is dirty the condensation cannot run down into the drain pan and freezes in place on the fins of the A-Coil.

Shut the system off and allow the A-Coil to defrost. Leave the fan running if possible as this will speed up the defrosting process and dry it out. Then vacuum any dust and dirt from the A-Coil. Clean or replace the return air filter and start the unit. If it freezes up again you should have the A-Coil cleaned professionally.

Answer 3

We had ice build up in our whole house humidifier. It started getting hot in the house and when we opened up the door that you open to clean the filter we saw the ice. We weren't using the humidifier at the time, that's just where the ice was building up. It turned out that one of our hoses wasn't connected properly and it was leaking the coolant. It was still under warranty (it was installed about 2 years ago) and since they had to tighten the hose it was obvious it was their fault. They also added coolant because it had leaked some, and we didn't have to pay for anything.

Answer 4

Might be freeze over due to overuse.First turn off and let thaw remove ice naturally do not help ice off piping you might damage unit.With unit off clean filter inside of house.This is allmost allways cause of Ice buildup.Restart ac at warmer temp about 74-76 degrees. Good luck!

Answer 5

It is probably leaking freon. Call an AC repair company- They can come refill it for about $50-$100ish and that will last you probably the rest of the summer but you will want to have it repaired before next summer because it will get old having to get it refilled all the time.

Answer 6

Is has froze up. Turn it off or you can burn it up.Could be a dirty filter or an A coil and low on freon. It could cost $100.00 or more to have it checked by a pro. My husband is in heating and air.

Answer 7

usually when they freeze up it is because they are low on freon. This would be an easy not expensive fix.

Answer 8

refrigerant is low or your condensation lines are not working, dont run it let it defrost and then get it serviced, It might be damaged but i cant say how much.