We may have hot weather, but even in Birmingham, you should know what to do when your AC unit freezes up. What? An AC freezing up in the summer? Before you call us crazy, it happens frequently. 

In this blog, we’ll review why an AC freezes even without Jack Frost around and what to do when your AC unit freezes up. We’ll also include tips to prevent frozen HVAC coils. With our tips, you may avoid an AC repair visit but if you need us, a friendly Douglas Cooling & Heating HVAC tech is ready to help!

What to Do When Your AC Unit Freezes Up in the Summer in Two Steps!

Step One: Thaw it Out

Turn off your AC unit at the electrical breaker and let the ice thaw. Be advised, it could take a whole day for the ice to completely thaw. Pick a day when you plan to spend time elsewhere, just be mindful of any pets in the house and the forecast. If a day’s rest is impractical, turn the AC off but leave the blower running. 

Make every effort to avoid using the AC while the evaporator coils are frozen. Running the AC with frozen coils strains the AC compressor. 

The AC compressor is the most expensive component in your air conditioning unit. The strain may damage this valuable part and set you up for an unplanned expense. 

Finally, don’t listen to advice that you should break up the ice with a heavy object or sharp tool. This easily damages components and creates new problems.

Step Two: Dry the Coils

Once the ice is gone, dry the evaporator coils. If off, restore the power to your system and turn the blower on. Set the thermostat to only run the blower or fan. This circulates air around and through the coils to dry them quickly. 

Once the coils are dry, your system should operate normally. It’s important, however, to prevent it from happening again, even if you now know what to do when your AC unit freezes up. 

Why an AC Freezes Up 

1. Dirty Air Filter
2. Refrigerant Leak
3. Airflow Obstruction
4. Dirty Evaporator Coil

Simply put, when your air conditioner suffers from poor airflow, the evaporator coil gets too cold. This is the part that “cools” the air and without good airflow, it freezes. 

Why? Because your AC’s evaporator coil is really just a cluster of refrigerant coils. As the refrigerant passes through, the chemical reaches temperatures as low as 10 – 20 degrees Fahrenheit. 

During normal operation, warm, unconditioned air passes over the coils. The existing warmth in your household’s air prevents ice or frost formation. If, however, there’s a lack of warm air moving across the evaporator coils, they ice over. The ice even travels along the refrigerant lines. 

As humid air, which we have a lot of here in Birmingham, meets the coils and condenses, it freezes even faster. 

How to Prevent a Frozen AC Unit

Now you know what to do when your AC unit freezes up and why it does it. How to stop it from happening in the first place? Here are some preventive measures you can take to keep your HVAC system from freezing over.

1. Change Your Air Filter

A dirty air filter is a top cause of a frozen HVAC system. The air filter cleans the air circulated into your home. Over time, it clogs with dirt, pollen, dust, and other allergens. This restricts the airflow and the HVAC coils freeze.

Typically, we recommend you check your filter monthly. Change it as needed. For most folks, this is one to every three months. Filter changes vary based on factors, such as:

• The type of filter you have
• Presence of children or pets in the home
• The season and if you live in a high-pollen count area
• Whether a household member smokes
• A household member lives with asthma, allergies, COPD or congestive heart conditions
• If you frequently run your system

During regular HVAC maintenance, Douglas Cooling & Heating professionals inspect your filter and will change it for you if a new one is available. 

2. Schedule Regular Maintenance to Check Coolant Levels

As part of a seasonal tune up, a professional HVAC contractor performs a comprehensive inspection. This includes checking coolant levels and charging if necessary. 

Think you might have a coolant leak? There are a couple of signs. For example, does your AC blow hot air? Do you hear a hissing? Douglas HVAC techs use measuring instruments to check levels as well. Avoid handling coolant chemicals, because they can be toxic. Leave it to the professionals if possible. 

3. Get an Airflow Inspection

Obstructed airflow is a major reason heating and cooling systems malfunction or function inefficiently. Similar to a clogged filter, blocked vent returns and registers prevent adequate airflow. 

This causes your system to work harder without a way to release the cooled or heated air. Are vents and registers clear from any obstructions? Your problem may be poorly designed or installed ductwork. In some cases, the ductwork is installed well but the wrong size for your house or the capacity.  

Call Douglas Cooling & Heating for HVAC maintenance. Our trained professionals inspect your ductwork and offer redesign solutions, if necessary. If there is a clog, like nesting material or other signs of pests, we clear obstructions blocking proper airflow. 

4. Clean Evaporator Coils

The condensate lines drain excess moisture from your HVAC system. If there’s a clog in the line, the water becomes stuck and the excess water freezes. With frozen water in your lines, you could be left with frozen HVAC coils as well. 

Over time, evaporator coils attract dust, hair, grime and form a clog. If there is moisture trapped inside the clog, the moisture freezes and the coils freeze as well. Frozen coils restrict airflow. This causes your system to struggle or not work at all.

The best prevention for frozen HVAC coils is to schedule preventive maintenance. Douglas Cooling & Heating checks the evaporator coils and the rest of your AC unit’s lines during an AC tune up. 

Save money, avoid AC repairs, breakdowns and a frozen HVAC system in the future with routine air conditioning service.

Related blog: How a Condensate Pan Works

Need More Assistance with What to Do When Your AC Unit Freezes Up; Call Douglas!

A proactive and preventive mindset saves you money throughout the year on your energy bill and keeps your air conditioning running well. Avoid the headache of ice on your HVAC system’s evaporator coils with good airflow and regular service. 

Make it even easier with membership in one of our service plans. We offer plans at three different levels to fit any budget. So call Douglas Cooling & Heating today and schedule an HVAC maintenance call for your heating and cooling system. 

Our team serves homeowners throughout the Birmingham, Alabama area, including Bessemer, Calera, Chelsea and Helena. You’ll also find our team in Vestavia Hills, Pelham, Mountain Brook, Homewood and Hoover. 

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When shopping for a new air conditioner, you’ve probably asked this question: What size air conditioner do I need? Air conditioners aren’t one size fits all, but not any size will do. Did you know bigger is not better? It’s important a new air conditioner is sized correctly for your Birmingham, AL home. It’s the best way to deliver the performance and efficiency you deserve.

In this blog, we’ll cover the importance of air conditioner sizing and the problems when you have the wrong fit. Our NATE-certified technicians are here to help you find the right answer to that all-important question: What size air conditioner do I need?

What Size Air Conditioner Do I Need? Here are the Factors

The right way to determine what size air conditioner you need is to work with Douglas Cooling & Heating to find the right fit. There are many elements used to determine the appropriate size. Hint: it’s more than square footage.

Some of the many characteristics considered to properly size an air conditioner include:

• Square footage of the home
• Volume of living space
• Climate
• Height of ceilings
• Age of the home
• Sunlight exposure of the home
• Shade around the home
• Foundation type
• Color of the roof and exterior materials
• Type of windows, age, orientation, and how many
• Insulation
• Existing ductwork
• Average occupancy
• Energy goals

These factors and more allow our NATE-certified technicians to find the right size air conditioner for your unique house. We look at these factors to determine your home’s cooling load, which is the amount of heat to be removed from your home to keep temperatures manageable. All the factors above contribute to heat gain indoors, which your new air conditioning unit removes.

Click Here to Request a Free Estimate

Air Conditioner Sizes & Efficiency

Air conditioners are sized by tons. This is not the actual weight of the unit, but tons of cooling capacity. A ton of cooling equals 12,00 BTUs (British thermal units) per hour. A one-ton air conditioner provides 12,000 BTU/hr, a 2-ton air conditioner provides 24,000 BTU/hr, and so on.

Separate from size is the air conditioner’s efficiency rating, which is measured in SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio). Our selection of Bryant air conditioners offers 16 SEER all the way up to 19 SEER. The higher the SEER, the more efficient the air conditioner.

Problems with Too Small or Too Big Air Conditioners

Now that you know what goes into answering, “What size air conditioner do I need,” let’s go over why it’s so important to get the right size.

Oversized air conditioners (too big for your home) and under-sized (too small for your home) do not cool your home efficiently. In fact, they are often unable to adequately cool it in the first place.

Too Little

An undersized air conditioner doesn’t have the ability to keep your home cool. It simply doesn’t produce enough cooling. As a result, the unit runs longer in attempts to keep up. This places more stress on your unit and consumes more electricity, which results in higher energy bills, more breakdowns and shorter system life.

Too Big

An oversized air conditioner provides too much cooling too fast for your home. This creates shorter cooling cycles unable to properly remove moisture. This allows high humidity in the home and poor air quality.

Because they cool the home too fast, the system short cycles (turns on and off frequently). This excess wear and tear to the system means it’s more likely to break down and require early replacement.

An improperly sized air conditioner costs you more in unnecessary equipment cost (common when buying an over-sized unit), more repair expenses, and higher energy bills. Additionally, the wrong size air conditioner costs you as it denies you comfort.

Call Douglas Cooling & Heating for a Free Estimate for a New Air Conditioner or Heat Pump

“What size air conditioner do I need?” is a question we hear from many of the Birmingham, AL homeowners we serve. Our NATE-certified technicians know the right techniques to properly size a new air conditioner for your home to ensure excellent cooling performance and efficiency.

Contact us today to learn which size air conditioner is right for you in Bessemer, Pelham, Helena, Homewood, Hoover, Calera, Mountain Brook, Chelsea, Vestavia Hills and many other Birmingham communities.

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The AC compressor is an important component of your Birmingham, AL home’s air conditioning system. With the right protection and care, your AC compressor runs at its best all summer long. Learn more about the AC compressor’s function and what you need to do to keep it safe from the elements.

Quick Review: What Does An AC Compressor Do?

Your AC compressor is located within the outdoor unit of your air conditioning system. It circulates refrigerant throughout the system for heat exchange. It also applies energy to the system’s refrigerant.

The AC compressor is powered by a motor. It compresses refrigerant gas to raise its temperature and pressure to move it through the refrigerant lines. As refrigerant passes through the system, it absorbs heat in its gaseous form. As heat’s released, it turns it back to liquid.

Protect Your AC Compressor

Your cooling system’s compressor undergoes a lot of stress during air conditioning season. Because it is housed outdoors, the elements affect its performance, too. Without proper care, this stress hurts the performance and efficiency of your air conditioning system.

Protect your AC compressor to improve performance and energy efficiency when you take these steps each year:

Preventive Maintenance for Your AC Compressor

Book a preventive maintenance tune up with Douglas Cooling & Heating’ NATE-certified air conditioning technicians each year. Your tune up ensures all vital components are clean and functional for efficient performance each summer.

Click Here to Schedule Preventive Maintenance 

Clean Air Conditioner Coils

The coils within your air conditioner allow the heat exchange between indoor and outdoor air. They collect dirt, dust and other debris over the course of normal operation. This compromises the heat exchange process. Your air conditioner, therefore, does not operate at peak efficiency.

Dirty air conditioner coils cause your AC compressor to work harder to facilitate heat exchange, which places the compressor under excessive stress. Have your air conditioner coils professionally cleaned and protect your AC compressor.

Let Your AC Compressor Breathe

Your AC compressor requires proper ventilation to cool down between air conditioning cycles. If it isn’t allowed to cool down, the compressor overheats and turns off. Frequent overheating causes failure, which requires replacement.

Keep your outdoor unit clear of debris to allow airflow through to the AC compressor.

• Clean off grass clippings, leaves and other yard debris on the outside of the AC unit.
• Clear away vegetation growing around the AC unit.
• Do not store outdoor furniture or items near the AC unit.
• Keep at least two feet of clearance surrounding your outdoor AC unit for proper ventilation and access.
• Change your air filter regularly to maintain proper airflow through your cooling system.

Help Your AC Compressor Cool Down

In addition to proper ventilation, protective shade helps your AC compressor cool down between cooling cycles. Shade your exterior air conditioning unit from direct sunlight to prevent compressor overheating.

Careful planting of large shade trees and pruning of those already in your yard keep your unit out of the sun’s direct rays. Deciduous trees become leafy in the spring and shield it from the hot summer sun. In the fall when the trees lose their leaves, the unit is exposed to sunlight. Because the temperature is lower, the heat is less of a problem.

Be mindful of fallen leaves, however. Don’t let them crowd your AC unit or let wet leaves clog the internal components. Also, take care of dead or dying trees before a limb falls and damages your AC unit.

Think A Fan Blade is Bent? Strange Noises or Yard Waste in the Fan? Call Douglas Cooling & Heating for AC Services

Take care of your AC compressor and it remains in good shape to serve your family for many cooling seasons in the Birmingham heat. Make preventive maintenance easy with a Priority Service Plan – we have several options.

Douglas Cooling & Heating provides the care your AC compressor and other cooling system components need to maintain performance and efficiency.

You’ll find Douglas serving customers in Birmingham and surrounding areas including Mountain Brook, Pelham, Vestavia Hills, Homewood, Hoover, Calera, Chelsea, Helena and Bessemer. Contact us today to learn more!

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The condensate drain pan in your heating and cooling system allows moisture to exit the equipment and your home. A properly functioning condensate drain pan protects your HVAC equipment and your home from water damage. Know how your condensate pan works and when to call for help from an HVAC technician.

Understanding a Condensate Drain Pan

During operation, heating and cooling equipment generates condensation. When the cooling process begins, the evaporator coils within your interior HVAC equipment fall to low temperatures and become cold. This allows the coils to absorb heat from the incoming air in order to cool it.

The warm air that enters your system from the home is moist, but that moisture is removed as heat transfer is conducted by the evaporator coils. As your AC extracts moisture from indoor air during the heat transfer process, condensation forms along the evaporator coils. How a condensate drain pan works is by collecting this water as it drips from your air conditioner’s evaporator coils. 

The condensate pan is attached below the evaporator coils. It must be correctly fitted to catch moisture without leaks. Moisture flows to the condensate drain line and out of your home. Starting at the condensate pan, excess moisture from your home’s air is able to exit your home and the cooling process leaves you with the added bonus of dehumidification indoors.

Where Is My Condensate Drain Pan?

Due to the nature of how a condensate drain pan works, it is always positioned with your system’s evaporator coils. Where these components are located depends on the furnace or air handler type you have installed at home.

• In a vertical application, the furnace or air handler are in an upright position. Usually, they are installed in a home’s garage or a dedicated utility closet. In a vertical application, the evaporator coils are located at the top of the unit, so you are able to find the condensate drain pan just below.
• In a horizontal application, the furnace or air handler is installed on its side. This installation application is typically seen when the unit needs to be placed in an attic, due to the limited space available in this area depending on roof pitch. Airflow moves from side to side instead of up and down when the unit is installed this way. Find the evaporator coils located beside the furnace or air handler near the return air ducts, and below it you see the condensate drain pan.

How A Condensate Drain Pan Works When There Are Two…

If you happen to have a horizontally installed furnace or air handler in the attic of your home, notice the unit has a second condensate drain pan. Now, your system does not need two condensate drain pans to operate correctly – this second pan is a backup that offers added protection.

Condensate drain pan failure poses a significant risk of water damage in a horizontal HVAC system. With the unit positioned on its side, a condensate pan failure allows water to drip out across the unit, instead of it funneling to a general location as with a vertical HVAC unit. Water leaks from a failed condensate pan in a horizontal HVAC system leads to damaged wood, drywall, ceilings, and insulation.

How a condensate drain pan works if it is the secondary component is to catch water that may leak out across the unit if the primary condensate pan fails. With its own dedicated drain line, it safely catches spilled condensation and directs it out of your home to prevent damage. 

How Do I Tell the Difference Between the Two Condensate Pans?

The secondary condensate pan on a horizontal HVAC unit is much more visible than the primary one located under your evaporator coils, because you are able to see it as it is not encased in the equipment cabinet. It sits below the system and spans the width and depth of the unit with a little extra area just in case.

Condensate Drain Pan Problems

Problems with how a condensate drain pan works often cause a water leak within HVAC equipment and water damage in the home. If you have regular AC tune ups with Douglas Cooling & Heating, our technicians inspect your system’s condensate pan. They look for issues such as:

Misalignment

If not correctly fitted within the system, water leaks outside the air conditioner. This leads to water damage to the surrounding area if the issue is ignored.

Clogs

Due to the moist environment, mold and mildew may grow. These contaminants, as well as particles in the air, clog the drain pan. This stops the flow of moisture to the drain line and out of the home which impedes how a condensate drain pan works.

Moisture backup results. Depending on the orientation of your HVAC equipment, water backs up into the system. This leads to component damage. In this case, water also spills over the edges of the condensate drain pan and damages the area around your HVAC system.

Don’t risk water damage and mold. These are often expensive restoration projects.

Damage

Due to how a condensate drain pan works, it experiences wear and tear just like other HVAC components. Damage allows water to leak. An obvious sign of a damaged drain pan is water or water damage around your HVAC unit.

Additional Signs of Condensate Pan Problems

These symptoms also alert homeowners to the presence of a problem:

• Higher humidity in the home
• Odors from the HVAC system
• Mold growth
• Higher energy bills
• No water coming from the condensate drain line

Protect Your Condensate Drain Pan

Prevent water damage to your home and HVAC equipment and ensure your air conditioner runs properly this summer with these tips to protect how a condensate drain pan works. To provide the best care for your condensate pan, take the following steps:

• Schedule a preventive maintenance tune up so our NATE-certified technicians inspect your drain pan and correct any issues detected.
• Change your air filter on a regular basis. This keeps contaminants out of the system and prevents clogs. A dirty air filter allows more contaminants to form clogs.

Call Douglas Cooling & Heating for Air Conditioning Services Including AC Tune Ups and AC Repairs

If you have a problem with how a condensate drain pan works in your home’s HVAC system, contact Douglas Cooling & Heating for help. Our NATE-certified technicians perform the repairs your system needs to keep condensation moving out of your house.

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