Running your air conditioner with a frozen component can seriously damage your system, but that doesn’t mean you always have to wait for a technician to come and defrost your frozen A/C unit.
Start with a Gentle Approach
The safest way to defrost your air conditioner is to let nature take care of the ice. Turn off your system from the control panel, then shut off power to the system at the breaker in your home’s electrical panel. Then just wait and let the ice thaw. Don’t try to pry the ice off with your hands or a sharp object. You’ll risk damaging the components or worse, injuring yourself. Depending on how much ice there is, it could take up to 24 hours to melt. Periodically check for standing water that might have pooled under your indoor evaporator coil and mop up any you find. If there’s a lot of ice, put down some towels.
Try a Little Heat
If just a little ice has formed on your evaporator coil, you can defrost it faster using a hair dryer turned on to the lowest setting. Hold the hair dryer at least 12 inches from the coil. Too much heat can crack an evaporator coil, so use caution if you decide to go this route. After all the ice has melted, dry the system out by turning it on to “fan only” mode. This circulates air that will dry up any lingering moisture. Before you turn the system on again, though, take steps to correct the problem that caused your frozen A/C unit in the first place. That might mean replacing a dirty air filter, cleaning the evaporator coil or removing debris from the outdoor unit. If your air conditioner keeps freezing even though you’re sure the components are clean, the problem could be due to a more serious issue such as a refrigerant leak or mechanical malfunction. In this case, call a technician. If you could use some help defrosting your frozen A/C unit, contact us at Air Assurance anywhere around Broken Arrow.