Welcome to the Comfort Zone Blog Ways to Help Prevent Frozen Air Conditioners Avoid Air Conditioner Meltdown There is nothing better than entering a nice cool house on a hot summer day. And few things are worse than sweltering in the heat as you wait for the HVAC technician to come fix your broken air conditioner, knowing it is going to cost hundreds of dollars to repair. The most common reason for a sudden air conditioner meltdown is frozen pipes and tubes. Why do Air Conditioners Freeze There are lots of things that can cause your AC unit to freeze. A qualified AC professional can help you find the source of the problem, but it does not hurt to understand how freezing occurs so you can take steps to prevent it. Refrigerant Charge: If your AC is running low on refrigerant or the fluid is improperly charged, the system can freeze. Leaks are a common cause of refrigerant problems; these can occur when moving parts rub together or vibrate over time. Leaks are also likely to be found where fittings and shoulder joints are loose.

Only a certified HVAC technician should check refrigerant levels and recharge the system if necessary. Airflow: Restricted airflow can cause the evaporative coils to get so dirty that they drop to a temperature below freezing. Humidity in the surrounding air then collects and freezes around the coils. If your air filters have not been changed in more than three months, airflow can be significantly reduced; undersized ducts are another common cause of poor airflow. Outdoor Temperature: Running your air conditioner on cool days can cause the unit to freeze up. Most central AC systems are not designed to work properly when outside temperatures dip below 60ºF. How to Prevent Freezing Now that you understand the most common causes of air conditioner freezing, you can take positive steps to prevent problems in the future. Refrigerant Charge: To keep fluid levels functional, contact a qualified professional to perform a thorough test on your system. A technician will be able to look for leaks, repair damaged or weakened parts, refill coolant and make sure you AC is in good working condition.

It is always a good idea to schedule maintenance before peak season to avoid high prices or emergency service charges. Airflow: Change the air filters regularly, usually about every three months or so. This is the simplest, most cost-effective way to ensure your air conditioner does not freeze. If you notice that the AC’s evaporative coils are already dirty, you will need to have them cleaned by a professional. You may be able to vacuum out some of the debris yourself, but some have coils that need to be removed for proper cleaning. Outdoor Temperature: This one is pretty simple; just do not use your air conditioner when the outside temperature is below 60º. Not only will you prevent your system from freezing, but you will also save energy and money on utility costs by just opening the windows on cool days. So, when you are ready to install or replace your home’s air conditioner or heater system, please contact Horizon Services. Our friendly and experienced team of Home Comfort Consultants knows air conditioning and heating systems inside and out.

They’ll take the time to study your home, understand your cooling and heating requirements, show you all of your options and assist you with finding the quality home comfort system that best meets your family’s needs and budget.choosing window ac unit Additional Information from Horizon Services…reset button outside ac unitMy Air Conditioner is Frozen!reset switch outside ac unit Save Energy by Unplugging Household Devices and Appliances 7 Things in Your House That Could Explode Horizon Air Conditioning Services Horizon Drain Cleaning Services Horizon Sewer & Water Line Replacement Services(Editor’s note: This story has been updated below and now features at least one video submitted by a Blaze reader who tried our experiment – and succeeded!)

And according to the national heat map from the US Weather Service, the heat is sweeping all across the country. (Today, Las Vegas is expected to smash an all-time high temperature.) However, there is hope. We discovered an easy way to beat the heat without breaking the bank. Thanks to the clever minds at Snapguide, there’s a simple way to build an actual air conditioner for about $20…and in less than 30 minutes. In case you’re not familiar with SnapGuide, the site’s “About” page explains their mission quite simply and clearly. Snapguide is a free iOS app and web service for those that want to create and share step-by-step “how to guides.” Users are invited to create their own guides using the iPhone or iPad app. Snap pictures and videos of your project, add captions, and share your guide with the Snapguide community. Snapguide user Rory Boyer came up with a very simple way to create a cheap and rather uncomplicated air conditioner. While it is doubtful that you could cool an entire house with this ice chest AC unit, it does appear to be an easy way to add some cool air to any room.

The material list for the D-I-Y air conditioner is very basic: The construction process is very simple. Cut a hole for the PVC pipe to vent the cool air. Cut another hole on the top — just slightly smaller than the circumference of the fan (and on angle to prevent it from falling into the cooler). Secure the fan in place with the tape. Add ice packs into the cooler and plug in the fan. After showing this item to my editor, he challenged me to try and build one myself. After all, I have a history of in the D-I-Y arena. Does anyone recall the D-I-Y Twinkie experiment from November 2012? So, it was off to the store to grab the four items needed to start the adventure. Although the Snapguide article says that you can make this AC unit for $20, it’s probably closer to a $30 price tag. Does the 50% cost increase mean we’re not going to try it? Can you cool a house with it? However, we bet that this unit would significantly lower the temperature of an average sized room.

Watch the 3:00 video showing the construction of theBlaze’s $20 $30 D-I-Y Air Conditioner here. Update #1: Many readers have written asking about our D-I-Y project, specifically the ice. How long did the ice last? – We only had enough ice on hand to fill the cooler about 25%, but it stayed viable for over four hours. Loading the cooler with more ice (50-75%) would likely make the air coming out of the exhaust even colder, while extending the time that the unit would run before needing to be replenished. Update #2: Blaze reader, Matt from Yuma, AZ was tired of dealing with an underperforming car AC unit that was struggling to keep up with the relentless triple-digit temperatures of this past week. So he built the $20 AC system and sent us this video. It appears to be working quite well. Update #3: Another enterprising Blaze reader named Charlotte shared her step-by-step video showing the construction of her AC project. The total cost for her creation was under $18.