Bastrop AC Repair (888) 217-3739

An independent referral line for AC and heating calls in Bastrop County, TX. Not a contractor.

Bastrop County, TX

There is ice on the copper line or the indoor coil

Ice on an AC in a Texas summer means the indoor coil has dropped below freezing. Two things cause that: too little air moving across the coil, or too little refrigerant in the system. Either way, running it frozen makes it worse, so switch the cooling off and let it thaw before the visit.

(888) 217-3739

The line is answered 24/7. Calls may be recorded.

What to do right now

  1. Set the thermostat to off for cooling and the fan to on. The blower moves warm house air across the coil and thaws it faster.
  2. Put towels under the indoor unit if it is in a closet. Thawing ice makes a lot of water, and in an attic install the drain pan has to take it.
  3. Do not chip at the ice. The coil fins and the copper are easily damaged.

A full thaw can take a few hours. Restarting a frozen system before then usually refreezes it.

The two causes

Airflow. A clogged filter, closed vents, a blocked return, a dirty indoor coil or a blower that runs slow. Less air across the coil means less heat to absorb, and the coil temperature falls below 32°F. Fixing airflow fixes the ice.

Refrigerant. A system low on charge runs a colder, lower-pressure coil, and that freezes too. Refrigerant is not used up, so low charge means a leak somewhere in the coil, the line set or the outdoor unit.

A technician tells them apart after the thaw: airflow measured at the blower and the vents, pressures measured at the outdoor unit. If the filter was the cause, the visit may be short. If it is a leak, ask about a leak search, not only a recharge.

When ice is normal

On a heat pump in winter, a thin frost on the outdoor coil that clears on its own every so often is the defrost cycle doing its job. Ice on an AC line in summer is never normal.

What to say when you call

  • Where the ice is: the larger copper line at the outdoor unit, the indoor coil, or both
  • That the system is off and thawing, and since when
  • When the filter was last changed
  • Whether the system has been topped up with refrigerant before
  • The install year, the refrigerant on the data plate, and your ZIP code

Common questions

It thawed and is cooling again. Is it fixed? If a filter was clogged and has been replaced, possibly. If not, the cause is still there, and the coil will freeze again on the next hot afternoon.

Is water from the thaw a problem? It can be in an attic. Check the ceiling below the unit; see a stain on the ceiling.

Know the symptom and the install year? That is enough to start. Ask whether a contractor is taking calls in your ZIP code today.

(888) 217-3739

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ZIP codes on this line

Bastrop 78602Cedar Creek 78612Elgin 78621Smithville 78957Paige 78659Red Rock 78662McDade 78650Rosanky 78953Giddings 78942

Updated

Call — (888) 217-3739

Calls may be recorded.