Our A/C is not cooling our house! In 90 degree weather the pipe to the unit outside was frozen, what gives?

Question

Our house is new construction from three years ago. We have an outdoor air conditioning unit. Everything was fine until the other day. We've been having very dry conditions in our area and then it started pouring rain and that's when my boyfriend notice about an inch of ice around the pipe connecting to the house. The air conditioner hasn't cooled our house since and it's burning hot in here... help!
I'd like any information on what the problem is and also a quick fix without calling a repairman. Thanks.

Answer 1

Your coils are dirty, both inside and out. The ice comes from the moisture in the atmosphere that freezes to the pipe because the heat exchange in the house isn't working. This is due to the dirty coils. Turn the unit off and hose down the coils. If you can use air on the inside coils, that works and isn't as messy. Be careful not to use allot of pressure on the inside coil or you'll have water all over the place. Before you hose the inside coils take a look at them and get off as much as you can with a rag. It is usually the bottom or the inside of the "V" that is the dirtiest, since this is how the air flows. Also, remember that the inside coils drain into a shallow pan, keep an eye on the level and don't let it overflow or you'll have a bigger mess. Change the filter and turn the unit on.

Don't chip the ice off anything, this will usually result in some kind of damage that will cost you. Let the ice melt; you can remove the ice in chunks but don't force anything.

I just read an earlier answer - Water or Air---- ONLY WATER OR AIR, don't use any caustic substance. If it's bad enough to use acid, then it's bad enough to call a pro. Don't take anything apart on the outside unit. Spray the outside unit with you garden hose, just look through the fan and adjust your pressure so you're not saturating everything inside. Once water comes through the coils their clean enough. Remember these units are designed to sit outside in the weather.

Answer 2

The coil on the inside unit is frozen over. As long as it's frozen the air won't pass through the coils and send cold air to the vents.
This is caused when you are low on freon.

You will have to call a repairman to charge the unit and check for leaks.

In the meantime, you can remove the cover on the inside unit and use a blow dryer to remove the ice. Do NOT touch the fins on the coil.
Once you've removed the ice, change the thermostats fan setting to 'on' instead of 'auto'.

This might help keep the ice from reforming and let you cool the house until a repairman comes out.

One other possibility is that the coils on the inside unit are covered in crud. If this is the case, the air won't flow over and around the coils enough to transfer the cold out through the registers.The best method to optimize your a/c is to clean the coils on both inside and outside units.

Foamy Cleaner made by DiversiTech is what I use but there are others out there. It's a very caustic chemical made specifically for cleaning a/c coils and is only available at a/c supply stores. Invest in a good quality garden sprayer (the kind with a pump built into the lid) and a pair of chemical resistant rubber gloves (available at any hardware store).

You start by turning off the breaker or main a/c disconnect switch and remove the screws holding on the coil cover. You will need to have plenty of water ready to spray down the coils since the acid in the foam will 'eat' your coils if you leave it on too long. You should also have something to catch the excess water since the drain pan probably won't be able to handle the flow. Spray the coil cleaner according to the directions and leave it on only as long as recommended.
Change your filter with a 'cheap' filter every month. The expensive filters don't allow enough air to get the most from your a/c.

Outside unit: Turn of the power to the unit. Remove the top cover and fan. Do the same to these coils as the inside unit. This will also optimize your systems cooling capabilities.

If your inside unit is setup where you can't get to the coils, let the a/c company do it when they check the freon. They can remove it and clean it.

Edit- I've read the other posts that say "do nothing. Call a repairman." I've known many people who've cleaned both sets (inside and out) with the foaming acid cleaner and saved hundreds of dollars. If you can do this, and your coil doesn't freeze back over, you may not have to call repairman to check freon at all.
Once you've cleaned the coils, the freon line (there are two, check the larger one covered in insulation) coming into the inside unit should be as cold as a beer in an icechest and have an even coat of condensation. This indicates that your freon level is ok.

Answer 3

Frozen Pipes Ac Unit

Answer 4

Turn it off now. You will need a repairman on this one. Just be sure that your filters are clean. You have froze the system up. This happens when you are low on freon. You need to have the repairman come out and check the system for leaks. When you are low on freon, it gets too cold and then it freezes up and it will do damage to the compressor or your indoor coil, if it hasn't already.

You can run the system for about an hour at a time to get you by until the repairman gets there. This is after the system has defrosted, and all the ice has melted off the pipes outside.

good luck

Answer 5

A smart person would: Check the airflow first to all your vents. Airflow across the evaporator coil is essential to good air conditioning. It is possible that you have a low refrigerant charge but the best thing to do is to shut the unit off and allow everything to defrost. Check the air filter and duct work to make sure there are no obstructions. After complete defrost turn the fan on (not the air conditioning) and check to make sure there is good airflow. If you do not have good airflow throughout all the vents then putting a refrigerant charge in the system is a bad thing to do. Perhaps you should call a professional to help you with this problem to make sure it gets taken care of in a timely and efficient manner.

Answer 6

Ok. This is what you do. At night, open all the windows and have the fans positioned at the windows blowing the air INTO the house. When you get up, it will be chilly in the house and that is when you immediately close all the windows and turn the fans off. Dont open the doors any more than you have to. Closing blinds and curtains will help, too. When it starts to get warm, turn the fans on to help cool you down but keep those windows closed! You should be able to get through the day this way. Then when it starts to cool down at the end of the day and it is warmer inside than it is outside, open the windows that dont have sun on them and put the fans back in the windows to blow in the cool air. (Some peple suggested positioning the fans to blow out. This doesnt work.)

Answer 7

Let the pipe thaw and your system will probably work again, but don't turn the thermostat down too low. You might need to recharge your system, but unfortunately that will mean a repairman. For now, turn the system off and let the pipe thaw. It'll be hot for a few hours, but it might work again without needing service. When you overtax the system it will sometimes freeze up, especially in 100 degree heat.

Answer 8

I wish people would quit making the determination that the unit is low on "freon". I can tell how stupid you are considering that "freon" is a brand name. The correct term is refrigerant.

The indoor coil is frozen. Turn it off before you damage the compressor. Change the filter and let it defrost before turning it back on. Never ever ever ever make the assumption that a refrigeration system is low on the refrigerant charge until you make certain that all of the fans are running, the filters are clean, and both coils are clean and free of air flow obstructions. NEVER EVER EVER


CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN.....Dirt is the worst enemy of AC.

Answer 9

Frozen pipe or fozen coil? Sounds like you need refrigerant. You will have to call a repair man for that.

I guess calling refrigerant freon is as stupid as calling tissue kleenex.

Answer 10

clean the filter and let the ice thaw before you cut it back on. Use papper filters not the metal ones they are so restrictive you can never get them clean enough to keep it working. replace the papper filter about once every 2 weeks of operation time.