If you’ve ever had a suction line freeze up, you know how frustrating it is. It’s like your mind is racing, attempting to understand what went bad and how to fix it quickly.
As you may have guessed, there are many reasons why suction lines freeze up. And if you don’t take care of them right away, they can become more than just a nuisance—they can actually end up costing you money!
We’ve put together this guide to help you understand what causes suction lines to freeze, how to stop frozen suction lines from happening again in the future, and when it’s time to call a professional technician for air duct repair & installation in O’Fallon, Missouri.
Causes Of Frozen Suction Line Ac Unit
Air conditioners are a common sight in many homes and businesses. They allow us to keep our houses and offices at a comfortable temperature, but sometimes things can go wrong with them. One common problem is when the suction line freezes. This happens when water from outside gets into the unit through the suction line and freezes there. When this happens, the compressor stops working properly, and you might end up with an energy bill for hundreds of dollars in repairs.
In order to prevent this from happening, it’s important that you know what causes frozen suction lines. There are several possible causes for an ac suction line frozen. Here are some common reasons:
Low Refrigerant Level
If your AC unit is freezing up, it could be because there’s not enough refrigerant in the system. To check if this is the problem, turn on your unit and place an infrared thermometer near the compressor. If it reads below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, then you’ll need more refrigerant added to your unit. This is easy and inexpensive—just call a professional HVAC technician, and they’ll come out right away!
Dirty Air Filters
A dirty air filter can cause your unit’s compressor to overwork, which can lead to suction line frozen on ac. Cleaning or replacing your air filter should fix this problem.
Blocked Or Closed Supply Vents
This is the most common cause of frozen suction line ac unit; if your AC is blowing hot air, but the outdoor compressor isn’t running, it means either the outdoor or indoor side of the suction line has a blockage.
Malfunctioning Blower Motor
If your AC is blowing cold air through the vents but still not dispensing any coolant through the outdoor unit (or “blowing” with no fans), then chances are good that your blower motor is broken.
Thermostat Issues
If your thermostat isn’t set correctly, it won’t be able to turn on the cooling when it needs to. When this happens, the condenser will run continuously, even when it’s not cool enough outside for your home to be comfortable. This can cause your compressor to overheat, which means you’ll end up with an expensive repair bill!
Faulty Expansion Valve
The expansion valve regulates how much refrigerant flows through your system. If it malfunctions, then there might not be enough pressure inside the evaporator coil for proper cooling. This can also lead to overheating and costly repairs down the line!
Dirty Evaporator Coil
A dirty evaporator coil blocks airflow because it prevents proper cooling of indoor air, which makes the coil-less effective at removing moisture from the air that passes through it. This can cause ice buildup on the coil, which can then lead to frozen suction lines.
Defective Defrost Sensor
A faulty defrost sensor can cause your air conditioner to cycle on and off more frequently than usual—which means more time outside where it’s cold! And if that happens often enough, you could end up with a clogged suction line from all the ice that forms on it during those cycles.
How to troubleshoot the a/ac frozen suction line?
If you’ve ever owned an a/c unit, you know that it’s not always smooth sailing.
You might have experienced a frozen suction line before. This is when the line that brings cool air from outside and into your home freezes in winter. It can be a tricky problem to troubleshoot—but don’t worry! We’re going to give you some tips and tricks on how to fix the problem so you can stay cool (literally).
Here are some steps for troubleshooting this pesky problem:
Step 1: Turn off the AC
The first step in troubleshooting a frozen suction line is to turn off your air conditioner. If your unit doesn’t have an automatic shutoff feature (like most newer models), then this step may be more difficult than it sounds. If you don’t know what you’re doing, we recommend having a professional come and shut off your unit for you.
Step 2: Check the air filters
If there are no visible obstructions in your suction line, then check for build-up on your air filters. If they are dirty or clogged, clean them and re-insert them into their respective slots in your AC unit.
Step 3: Inspect supply vents
If you have a/c problems, you should inspect your supply vents. If they are clogged with ice or snow, the air that travels through them will become too cold for your system to handle. This will cause the suction line to freeze. You can easily prevent this by removing any obstructions from your vents before turning on your system in the spring.
Step 4: Allow thawing
Once you’ve inspected your supply vents and found no blockages, it might be time to allow your system to thaw naturally. The best way to do this is by turning off all of your units (heater and air conditioner) and letting them sit overnight without running. If it’s too cold outside for this method, try using a space heater at night while you sleep so that all of the ice has melted away from inside each component by morning.
Step 5: Check refrigerant levels
This is the most common cause of frozen suction lines and is easy to fix. First, open up your unit and check the level of refrigerant in the system. You’ll find that most units come with some sort of gauge on them to monitor the amount of refrigerant in the system. If you don’t know how to do this, contact your manufacturer or an HVAC professional for help.
If you’re a DIY kind of person, grab a ruler—or even just a tape measure—and go looking for this gauge! It should be located somewhere near where you add more refrigerant into your system when it gets low. It might be near your compressor or on the side of one of your coils (which are those big blocks that look like white bricks). Once you’ve found it, take note of what level is indicated on the gauge—that will be your starting point for troubleshooting.
Step 6: Inspect the blower motor
If your unit still isn’t working after adding more refrigerant and making sure it’s full enough to operate properly, check out the blower motor—it may be broken or malfunctioning due to age or damage from another source like water infiltration during a flood event (causing rust) or other factors).
Step 7: Check the thermostat
If your air conditioner is not working properly, you should first check the thermostat. The thermostat controls the temperature in your home and tells your air conditioner when to turn on and off. If it is set too low or too high, your air conditioner will not work properly.
Step 8: Clean the evaporator coil
The evaporator coil is what cools down your home by releasing cold air into your home when you turn on your air conditioner. If there’s dirt or debris in this area of the system, it won’t work properly and will cause a buildup of ice which blocks airflow and makes your home feel hotter than ever before! So take some time today to clean out those coils and get them back into shape again so they can do what they were made for, keeping you cool!
Step 9: Verify the defrost sensor (for heat pump systems)
In heat pump systems, a malfunctioning defrost sensor can prevent the unit from entering the defrost cycle, leading to ice buildup and freezing. Contact a professional HVAC technician to inspect and test the defrost sensor.
How to Keep Suction Lines from Freezing Up?
In the winter, it can be hard to keep suction lines from freezing. This is especially true if you’re working in a high-temperature environment or if there’s a lot of moisture in the air. But even if you’ve done everything you can to prevent freezing, your suction lines might still freeze up on you. If that happens, it could lead to costly repairs and downtime for your business.
That’s why learning how to keep suction lines from freezing up is important. Here’s how you can prevent your suction lines from freezing up during the winter months:
Regularly replace air filters.
Air filters help keep your equipment clean and functioning well, so they’re a great place to start. A dirty filter will clog up quicker than one that has been replaced regularly, which means it takes longer for moisture or cold air to get inside of them, which means they’ll be less likely to freeze up during use.
Keep supply vents unobstructed.
Clogged vents can make it harder for warm air to flow in when you turn on your machine, which means that it may not be able to maintain the cold air being pushed out by the client’s body heat during use—and then boom: frozen suction lines! So make sure those vents are clean and clear before each use so you don’t lose heat during sessions.
Avoid thermostat issues.
In addition to insulating your suction lines, make sure that you don’t have any issues with your thermostats. If a thermostat is set too low or too high, it could lead to problems with the water in your pipes freezing up.
Maintain proper insulation.
This means keeping an eye on your insulation levels throughout the winter months so they don’t get too low or too high. You’ll want to make sure that when temperatures start dropping below freezing, you don’t get caught off guard by a lack of insulation—that way, you’ll be able to take proper action before any problems arise!
Clean the evaporator coil.
This may seem like an easy task, but if you don’t do it regularly, dust can build up on top of the evaporator coil and cause it to freeze faster than usual. If you notice that this is happening in your office, make sure to clean off any dust buildup as soon as possible by using an air compressor or vacuuming. You should also check this area every few weeks throughout the year so that no dust gets trapped on top!
Ensure proper fan operation.
Fans provide air circulation, which keeps your equipment running smoothly when things are heating up when you need it most! Make sure all fans are turned on and working properly at all times and that there aren’t any obstructions in front of them (like snow or ice).
Schedule regular maintenance.
If you have an HVAC system installed in your building, talk with your HVAC maintenance company about scheduling regular HVAC maintenance during winter. This will ensure that your equipment is in good working order and help prevent ice buildup in the line.
Hire Technician for Air Duct Repair and Installation in O’Fallon, IL!
If you live in O’Fallon, IL, and are having issues with your air conditioning system, then it’s time to call Stay Cool Climate Control.
We specialize in repairing and installing air ducts for residential and commercial properties. We have been in the business since 2019, so you’ll be getting top-notch service from an experienced technician. We believe in providing our customers with the highest quality air duct services at reasonable prices. We pride ourselves on our courteous and professional technicians, who do their best to ensure your 100% satisfaction.
We provide:
– Air Duct Repair Services
– Air Duct Cleaning Services
– Air Duct Installation Services
– AC Installation Services
– Furnace Installation/Repair Services
– Heat Pump Installation/Repair Services
– Heat Pump Repair Services
– Air Conditioning Repair/Service & Maintenance Services
– Humidifier Installation/Repair & Maintenance Services
We offer 24-hour Emergency Heating and Air Conditioning Solutions in O’Fallon and always work with our customers in O’Fallon, Missouri, and the surrounding area to find a solution that fits their ideal budget and needs.
Our technicians have a wide array of experience and skills in what it takes to keep your home comfortable in times of extreme heat.
With us on your side, there’s no reason why you should ever feel like a sauna again!
Whether you need us to fix an existing duct or install a new one, we will do our best to provide quality workmanship at a reasonable price.
If you’re looking for an HVAC company in O’Fallon, Missouri, that cares about doing a great job and treating each customer like they’re part of our family, then look no further than Stay Cool Climate Control!
Call us at (636) 542-8600 to schedule an appointment with our HVAC technicians!