help-our a/c unit just froze up. Is there any way for us to fix it without calling a repairman?
Answers:
It is possibly low on freon. Also the recent humidity will make too much water and sometime it will freeze up.
If you can get it out, take it out and wash it with a garden hose to make sure both coils are clean .
Other answers:
turn it off until it thaws then don't turn it down so low
turn it off until it thaws then don't turn it down so low
call the repairman, your a/c is hosed
yes, it's low on refrigerant and since it takes R-12, in most cases, you'll need to call a repairman
Turn it to just fan and let the fan run, that will thaw it out and you can put it back to cool.
Turn it off. Make sure the pan is empty then keep an eye on it while the ice melts. You can try not turning it to such a cold setting, but I would guess you do need some freon and only qualified persons can add freon. It's the law. You should probably go ahead and call that repairman.
To stop anything form freezing you need to supply enough heat to it, or have enough heat in the surrounding area. If you have an overflow system put into place, that should take care of any over flows or leaks. You could consult a fitter or a plumber or maintenance man.
i used to be in the biz., filter maybe restricting air flow, the A coil maybe plugged up if no filter was used or if those $1 filters used, or what u thought low on freon. you can run the fan ONLY, may help defrost quicker,other wise you probably have to call a svr guy. the reason for the overflow maybe that the drain could be plugged up. you can have a drain pump installed (works similar to a sump pump) but not the cheap. or just have svr guy clear drain pump.
There are 3 good reasons that an AC unit will freeze.
1) Dirty Air filter (lack of air flow) or dirty coils.
2) Low refrigerant
3) Left on at night when the outdoor air temp drops below 65 degrees.
You can clean the out door coil with a hose, turn the power off first and then give it an intense spray down. Change the filter regularly.
The freon thing has to be done by a certfied tech. and not by a know it all who will not pay for the damage they can do.
Keeping the T stat at a reasonable temp and jacking it up a few degrees when you are away or sleeping will also give the unit a break and help your energy consuption. Good luck!
Frankly I think you should bite the bullet and call the HVAC tech. Low freon is the greatest cause of freeze up and only someone with a license can add it. While he's there he can clear your condensate drain and then you can add a small tablet of chlorine (available at any pool supply store)to the drain pan twice a year to prevent your drain getting plugged again.
most likely a dirty filter, dirty coil or low on refrigerant. to prevent water damage in the future if your drain plugs up you can install a moisture switch or a float switch in your drain pan so that if your condensate drain plugs up it will shut the unit off before it overflows.
turn it off for at least 6 hours make sure the filter is clean and the temp outside ain't below 20 degrees and that all vents are clean