How to Repair an Air Conditioner With Ice Inside

Air conditioning

Despite the fact that air conditioners make the room cold, they aren't supposed to create ice or operate with ice in them. Ice build-up can be created by a few factors and is pretty easy to fix by systematically going through some steps. The cause is often a lack of refrigerant because of a leak. It can also be related to running the air conditioner at night when the air is cool anyway.

Things You'll Need

• Coil cleaning solution
• Mop

Instructions

1. Stop the equipment immediately and determine the cause of the icing. Look for any leaks around the air conditioner. Look for oily/dirty stains which can indicate leaks. Check the refrigerant levels. If you find a leak, repair it.

2. Clean the coil if you don't find a leak. If the coil is very dirty ice can form---but mainly on the outside unit.

3. Clean the filters and open all the vents.

4. Make sure that you aren't running the air conditioner when the ambient temperature is low, as in cold weather or a chilly night. If you want to run the air conditioner on chilly nights, you need to modify the equipment with a larger coil and head pressure condenser. Consult a Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning specialist for advice on modifying your system.

5. Run the air conditioner in fan mode with the fan speed set to high until the ice melts, and don't run the air conditioner at night when the ambient temperature is low in the future.

6. Mop up the resulting melted ice.

References

• "G&S Mechanical Services: Coil Ice"
• "Sharp: Portable Type Room Air Conditioner Manual"