Air conditioner question(s)

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

In years past, and now starting today the inside AC coils are freezing up. ALL the hot days prior to today no problem.

At this point it takes maybe 30 minutes to get ice and 15 minutes of fan only to clear it.

Why? What could have changed that fast? Once it was because the outside units contactor got melted closed but right now the outside unit is going off ok.

WHY???

 

[raggie33]

low air flow due to dirty coil or filter is my guess

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

Filter changed recently.

I don't see how the coil is any dirtier today than yesterday.

It came on pretty suddenly...

 

[raggie33]

ive heard of folks stealing freon to get high.not sure if i belive it but in this world i dont doubt it

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

Hope someone with AC experience see this and answers.

I don't THINK there could of been a freon theft but this IS East Texas....

 

[Lite_me]

I'm no expert, but you're probably low on refrigerant. That can cause that fer sure. You'll need to have it checked to find out for sure tho.

 

[5.0Trunk]

Funny this came up. Back in April, the weather went from nice to 95 degrees and we turned on our air. It was Saturday and the house was nice a cool. Sunday came, when we left the house in the morning, everything was still nice and cool but when I came home later in the evening, the house was very, very warm. I could still here the compressor running outside but nothing was coming out of any vents. Come to find out when the system is low on refrigerant, the coil when freeze up and that's what happen to mine. The AC guy had to put 3 pounds of refrigerant in and everything is working fine. Well last week, same thing, no air coming out of the vents. AC guy came out and detected a refrigerant leak inside the house at the coil. I just had a new coil put in and after $1,100.00, everything is working fine.
Sounds like you may be low on refrigerant and hopefully it just needs a refill.

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

Now has gone an hour easy.

PLENTY of water but no ice.

Maybe the humidity was even higher today...

 

[jugg2]

I work at an A/C company as a technician< and I have been around this stuff since I was like 10, so let me ask you a few questions...

1 what temperature are you trying to keep the house

2 what does the indoor (evaporator) coil look like, dirty or clean and shiny

3 have you ever had to add freon to the system before?

4 how old is the system

Let me know and I will see if I can give you at least a direction to go in.

 

[alpg88]

is it a window unit?

 

[wmirag]

My buddy had this happen last year. I traced his problem to the relay that controlled the compressor. It was broken and stuck in the ON position.

This is easy to test.
1. Turn the AC on.
2. Verify the compressor is running.
3. Turn the thermostat WAY up, well higher than the room temperature.
4. If the compressor does not go off, it is probably the relay.
5. That is, assuming the thermostat is good.

W.

 

[65535]

High humidity is one possibility.
Sounds like an overworking compressor to me.

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

Inside coils are in a tent shape and not shiny.

Compressor is cutting off.

House was new in '97 and is a double wide.

I can't imagine the humidity was any higher yesterday than before.

We are asking it for 75 which it handles fine from about midnight to noon. Then the bright afternoon sun makes it tough.

What would you recommend for coil cleaning?

 

[Badbeams3]

I'm no expert, but you're probably low on refrigerant. That can cause that fer sure. You'll need to have it checked to find out for sure tho.

Yep, this is the #1 probability. Every time I have had this iceing up thing...it`s been solved by adding freon.

 

[jugg2]

A waterhose is plenty to clean an evaporator coil with, just be careful not to damage the fins with too high water preassure ( I have seen coils cleaned with a preassure washer, not a good idea lol). If your evaporator coil is clean, then most likely it is low on freon. 75 is very reasonable to keep your house at, normally you shouldn't have icing problems till 68 or below. Like somone above mentioned there is a possibility that the contactor could be getting stuck on, but if it is not cooling the house down in the first place i doubt that is the problem.

Hope this helps...

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

Before it started freezing up yesterday it was doing all we could expect of it. The control box is not in the best place in the house which is partly why it was showing 82ish in the late afternoon.

We just used a water nozzle and then air blower on the inside coils and water nozzle only again on the outside coils.

If it made ANY difference it's very slight.

We SHOULD be able to get a guy out here in the next couple days to fix it. Seems like freon is about the only thing left.

I'm sitting here right on the verge of sweating and it ain't nice....

 

[jugg2]

I wish you were closer and I could just come out there my self lol. I know how it is to be hot, I work on A/C equipment everyday, but as soon as I get it cooling it's off to somewhere else hot, kind of ironic...

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

It's the thought that counts! Thanks!!!