You noticed ice on the copper line where it enters the AC or a puddle by the indoor unit. That's a frozen evaporator coil, and it will destroy your compressor if you keep running it.
You probably came here because…
- Ice on the big copper refrigerant line running to the outdoor unit
- Water pooling around the furnace or air handler indoors
- Weak airflow or no airflow from vents
- AC runs constantly but the house doesn't cool
What’s actually happening
AC freeze-ups have two real causes: not enough air moving across the indoor coil, or not enough refrigerant.
Low airflow is usually a dirty filter, a closed or blocked return grille, or a failing blower motor. Cheap fix if you catch it early.
Low refrigerant means you have a leak somewhere. Refrigerant is a closed loop. It shouldn't ever get low. If it did, someone needs to find where it went and fix that before adding more.
What we do about it
Turn it off, thaw it out
Shut the AC off at the thermostat. Set the fan to On (not Auto) so warm air keeps moving over the coil. Give it 3-4 hours minimum to fully thaw.
Change the filter
New clean filter. Then check every return grille in the house – none should be closed or blocked by furniture. If airflow was the problem, it should now run without freezing.
Watch for re-freeze
Turn it back on. If it freezes again within a day, you have a refrigerant problem and the coil needs to be tested for leaks. Don't just refill it – that's throwing money away.
When to just call
If it freezes back up after a filter change, stop running it. Every hour a frozen AC runs is damaging the compressor. A compressor replacement is $2,500+. A leak repair is a fraction of that. Call (423) 637-1846.
Ready to fix it?
Call the family that’s been doing this in the Sequatchie Valley since 1996.