Posted: 10/18/2015 5:15:51 PM EDT
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Our AC unit has frozen up 3 times in 2 weeks. The first two times I open the air handler in the attic and thaw the ice on the coils as well as the ice on the compressor and lines on the outside unit.
The filters are all new and the coils in the air handler are clean. What the hell is going on here? What can I check/fix without having to call in a pro?? |
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I don't believe airflow is the problem... Quoted:
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I believe the two main culprits of freeze ups are restricted air flow and low freon. I don't believe airflow is the problem... Try cleaning your condenser and evaporator, if that doesn't solve the problem, open your wallet for refrigerant. |
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Try cleaning your condenser and evaporator, if that doesn't solve the problem, open your wallet for refrigerant. Quoted:
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I believe the two main culprits of freeze ups are restricted air flow and low freon. I don't believe airflow is the problem... Try cleaning your condenser and evaporator, if that doesn't solve the problem, open your wallet for refrigerant. Condenser coil is clean Evaporator coil is clean |
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Fuck me... the joys of home ownership. Been in the house since the middle of August It happens. All I can say is look for oil spots on the coils. Check around the charging ports for oil, check the welds around the drier. They usually leak in the evaporators, though. I like being an a/c guy, it means I don't have to get raped by one 
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Check the drain line and drain pan. If there is a blockage it can cause the coil to freeze up. What? Freezing water on an evaporator is caused by low saturated suction pressure. How would a blocked drain cause that? The earlier posts are correct. Reduced airflow or low suction pressure caused by loss of charge. |
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Go buy a jug of freon and top it off. Most residential hvac companies are going to charge 30 to 50 bucks a pound for r22 plus labor. R22 only costs 8 or 9 bucks a pound.
A lot of places in some states will sell it to you without an epa card. If they wont you can buy if off of a tech at an hvac place for cheap. They steal it all the time.
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It happens. All I can say is look for oil spots on the coils. Check around the charging ports for oil, check the welds around the drier. They usually leak in the evaporators, though. I like being an a/c guy, it means I don't have to get raped by one Quoted:
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Fuck me... the joys of home ownership. Been in the house since the middle of August It happens. All I can say is look for oil spots on the coils. Check around the charging ports for oil, check the welds around the drier. They usually leak in the evaporators, though. I like being an a/c guy, it means I don't have to get raped by one Listen to this guy.... Most likely have a leak. |
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Go buy a jug of freon and top it off. Most residential hvac companies are going to charge 30 to 50 bucks a pound for r22 plus labor. R22 only costs 8 or 9 bucks a pound. A lot of places in some states will sell it to you without an epa card. If they wont you can buy if off of a tech at an hvac place for cheap. They steal it all the time. LMFAO, no, and no, no and no, we're not all thieves. FUCK thieves, stay classy. |
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What? Freezing water on an evaporator is caused by low saturated suction pressure. How would a blocked drain cause that? The earlier posts are correct. Reduced airflow or low suction pressure caused by loss of charge. Quoted:
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Check the drain line and drain pan. If there is a blockage it can cause the coil to freeze up. What? Freezing water on an evaporator is caused by low saturated suction pressure. How would a blocked drain cause that? The earlier posts are correct. Reduced airflow or low suction pressure caused by loss of charge. Actually, yes it can, it's not freezing water on the evaporator. What happens is the water that drips into the drainline will back up from the blockage which causes the water on the coil to freeze. I've seen it multiple times in my career up in the northeast and here in southwest Florida. |
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Actually, yes it can, it's not freezing water on the evaporator. What happens is the water that drips into the drainline will back up from the blockage which causes the water on the coil to freeze. I've seen it multiple times in my career up in the northeast and here in southwest Florida. Quoted:
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Check the drain line and drain pan. If there is a blockage it can cause the coil to freeze up. What? Freezing water on an evaporator is caused by low saturated suction pressure. How would a blocked drain cause that? The earlier posts are correct. Reduced airflow or low suction pressure caused by loss of charge. Actually, yes it can, it's not freezing water on the evaporator. What happens is the water that drips into the drainline will back up from the blockage which causes the water on the coil to freeze. I've seen it multiple times in my career up in the northeast and here in southwest Florida. When I was in the attic last week the drain pan was draining just fine... |
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Actually, yes it can, it's not freezing water on the evaporator. What happens is the water that drips into the drainline will back up from the blockage which causes the water on the coil to freeze. I've seen it multiple times in my career up in the northeast and here in southwest Florida. Quoted:
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Check the drain line and drain pan. If there is a blockage it can cause the coil to freeze up. What? Freezing water on an evaporator is caused by low saturated suction pressure. How would a blocked drain cause that? The earlier posts are correct. Reduced airflow or low suction pressure caused by loss of charge. Actually, yes it can, it's not freezing water on the evaporator. What happens is the water that drips into the drainline will back up from the blockage which causes the water on the coil to freeze. I've seen it multiple times in my career up in the northeast and here in southwest Florida. Nope. Water has to be at 32F or below to freeze. The evaporator on a residential AC unit should never be at a temperature low enough to freeze water. It would have to be at 32F or below to freeze. A residential AC unit evaporator will never be at 32F if it is operating properly. NEVER. If an AC unit has an evaporator that is near freezing it has other issues. |
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Nope. Water has to be at 32F or below to freeze. The evaporator on a residential AC unit should never be at a temperature low enough to freeze water. It would have to be at 32F or below to freeze. A residential AC unit evaporator will never be at 32F if it is operating properly. NEVER. If an AC unit has an evaporator that is near freezing it has other issues. Quoted:
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Check the drain line and drain pan. If there is a blockage it can cause the coil to freeze up. What? Freezing water on an evaporator is caused by low saturated suction pressure. How would a blocked drain cause that? The earlier posts are correct. Reduced airflow or low suction pressure caused by loss of charge. Actually, yes it can, it's not freezing water on the evaporator. What happens is the water that drips into the drainline will back up from the blockage which causes the water on the coil to freeze. I've seen it multiple times in my career up in the northeast and here in southwest Florida. Nope. Water has to be at 32F or below to freeze. The evaporator on a residential AC unit should never be at a temperature low enough to freeze water. It would have to be at 32F or below to freeze. A residential AC unit evaporator will never be at 32F if it is operating properly. NEVER. If an AC unit has an evaporator that is near freezing it has other issues. That is true, I agree with that. Water backing up though blocked filter or a combination can cause the issue. |
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When I was in the attic last week the drain pan was draining just fine... Quoted:
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Check the drain line and drain pan. If there is a blockage it can cause the coil to freeze up. What? Freezing water on an evaporator is caused by low saturated suction pressure. How would a blocked drain cause that? The earlier posts are correct. Reduced airflow or low suction pressure caused by loss of charge. Actually, yes it can, it's not freezing water on the evaporator. What happens is the water that drips into the drainline will back up from the blockage which causes the water on the coil to freeze. I've seen it multiple times in my career up in the northeast and here in southwest Florida. When I was in the attic last week the drain pan was draining just fine... Sounds like it is a problem to bring in a service tech. |
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low on gas or sticking TXV. never heard of a plugged up drain causing a coil to freeze up, but I only own my own company and have been doing ac for over 40 years Sorry, I keep meaning to correct that. I've seen where a filter that is solid of dust/debris running for however long has caused the coil to freeze or build-up an excessive amount of condensation. My bad...... 
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There are plenty of things I am comfortable doing, cleaning the coils for example... but hooking gauges, etc... nah. I will pay a guy to come fix it instead of me fucking it up and it costing even more. This is the best policy. Routine maintenance is easy, especially with youtube. Replacing components or anything else that requires cracking into the refrigerant is someone's job. I'm happy to compensate the professionals. |
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It happens. All I can say is look for oil spots on the coils. Check around the charging ports for oil, check the welds around the drier. They usually leak in the evaporators, though. I like being an a/c guy, it means I don't have to get raped by one Quoted:
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Fuck me... the joys of home ownership. Been in the house since the middle of August It happens. All I can say is look for oil spots on the coils. Check around the charging ports for oil, check the welds around the drier. They usually leak in the evaporators, though. I like being an a/c guy, it means I don't have to get raped by one I am willing to be that you don't get freon for free though right 
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LMFAO, no, and no, no and no, we're not all thieves. FUCK thieves, stay classy. Quoted:
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Go buy a jug of freon and top it off. Most residential hvac companies are going to charge 30 to 50 bucks a pound for r22 plus labor. R22 only costs 8 or 9 bucks a pound. A lot of places in some states will sell it to you without an epa card. If they wont you can buy if off of a tech at an hvac place for cheap. They steal it all the time. LMFAO, no, and no, no and no, we're not all thieves. FUCK thieves, stay classy. I was partly joking about the stealing part. I just found out my freon inventory is a pallet off, wasnt getting billed out all the time.
No on the others? Are you disputing those are the prices for freon? Thats what it goes for here and being a commodity it cant vary much. I just bought some at a job in new mexico last week and they sold it to me for 13 just being a walkin guy with no account setup. I only charge 20 a pound and im the cheapest by a long shot but we do mostly industrial so its higher volume. We almost always use atleast a jug when we add freon, if not 5 or 10. |
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I was partly joking about the stealing part. I just found out my freon inventory is a pallet off, wasnt getting billed out all the time.
No on the others? Are you disputing those are the prices for freon? Thats what it goes for here and being a commodity it cant vary much. I just bought some at a job in new mexico last week and they sold it to me for 13 just being a walkin guy with no account setup. I only charge 20 a pound and im the cheapest by a long shot but we do mostly industrial so its higher volume. We almost always use atleast a jug when we add freon, if not 5 or 10. Quoted:
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Go buy a jug of freon and top it off. Most residential hvac companies are going to charge 30 to 50 bucks a pound for r22 plus labor. R22 only costs 8 or 9 bucks a pound. A lot of places in some states will sell it to you without an epa card. If they wont you can buy if off of a tech at an hvac place for cheap. They steal it all the time. LMFAO, no, and no, no and no, we're not all thieves. FUCK thieves, stay classy. I was partly joking about the stealing part. I just found out my freon inventory is a pallet off, wasnt getting billed out all the time.
No on the others? Are you disputing those are the prices for freon? Thats what it goes for here and being a commodity it cant vary much. I just bought some at a job in new mexico last week and they sold it to me for 13 just being a walkin guy with no account setup. I only charge 20 a pound and im the cheapest by a long shot but we do mostly industrial so its higher volume. We almost always use atleast a jug when we add freon, if not 5 or 10. Im sure the mass quantity of use is one reason, but holy shit the price of 22 has gotten absurd. Im hearing rumors of another huge increase in pricing next season as well. $20?? We're not even on the same planet... |
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20×30 MERV 12 3M Filtrete Micro-Allergen Quoted:
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Even a clean filter can cause an icing problem. What kind of filter is it, and what MERV rating? In general, MERV 8 or 10 is enough in most residential applications. 20×30 MERV 12 3M Filtrete Micro-Allergen I'm no pro, but check your manual for max MERV recommended. I had cooling issues this summer because I was trying to stop hydrogen atoms from circulating.
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I'm no pro, but check your manual for max MERV recommended. I had cooling issues this summer because I was trying to stop hydrogen atoms from circulating. Quoted:
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Even a clean filter can cause an icing problem. What kind of filter is it, and what MERV rating? In general, MERV 8 or 10 is enough in most residential applications. 20×30 MERV 12 3M Filtrete Micro-Allergen I'm no pro, but check your manual for max MERV recommended. I had cooling issues this summer because I was trying to stop hydrogen atoms from circulating. I replaced it with a cheaper filter and am running it now to see if that is the problem... the previous homeowners did not have any issues. |
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I replaced it with a cheaper filter and am running it now to see if that is the problem... the previous homeowners did not have any issues. Quoted:
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Even a clean filter can cause an icing problem. What kind of filter is it, and what MERV rating? In general, MERV 8 or 10 is enough in most residential applications. 20×30 MERV 12 3M Filtrete Micro-Allergen I'm no pro, but check your manual for max MERV recommended. I had cooling issues this summer because I was trying to stop hydrogen atoms from circulating. I replaced it with a cheaper filter and am running it now to see if that is the problem... the previous homeowners did not have any issues. Well there you go, it's freezing with a low restriction filter. Time to pony up for refrigerant and a leak test.
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